The One Where We Re-do Season 3
by rookiefan24
Summary: This is the sequel to my last story, The One Where Sam and Andy Go On Vacation. The story picks up after they return home and is basically my version of S3! See the A/N in chapter 1 for a better explanation!
1. Chapter 1

The One Where We Re-Do Season 3

 **A/N:** I'm back! I apologize that the hiatus between stories has been longer than originally expected. I started to not feel well, just very exhausted and nauseous… and well in about 3 ½ months our very own little Sammy will be joining us! This has been a long and exhausting pregnancy and I'm finally in a space where I can devote some time to writing again. I also am in a space where I think I can write without sobbing every time I think about not seeing Rookie Blue on my screen this summer. Hormones are not fun!

Anyway, this story picks up 5 days after the last one. Andy and Sam are adjusting to their life post-vacation. This story will span the length of Season 3, and while we will see new characters like Nick, their storylines will not be the same as they were in the show. Spoiler Alert: We won't lose Jerry. There were many things I liked about Season 3 and many I did not. This will hopefully mix the things I liked with my take on how things should have gone. I hope you like it.

Also, for the last story I set myself up on a very aggressive writing schedule. I wanted to make everyone happy so I pumped out chapter after chapter, at an almost frenzied pace if you think about the amount of words each chapter held. This time, I just cannot do that. I plan to update about once a week, however, I plan to update with two chapters at a time. Depending on length, some weeks you may only get a single chapter, but it will be well worth it. I will keep the M rating, however I will also tone down the sexy time so it won't be in every chapter.

Finally, I have no time or patience for the some of the ridiculous comments I dealt with on the last story. I appreciate constructive criticism, but if you truly do not like or appreciate the way I chose to write the characters, than by all means please go and read something else. Your comments will be deleted and ignored.

Chapter 1

The One Before The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

They had been back to work a week and things had been… interesting, Andy thought as she got ready for work. She and Sam were starting to fall into a comfortable routine, however it had not been without a few hiccups. When he came to pick her up that first night, he was happy to see she had everything she needed for work the following evening. He had intended on spending the time between vacation and work with her, and was hoping his mood at the airport had not changed their plans.

They had spent a wonderful evening with the Shaw's. Oliver really had no issues grilling in a parka and while the steak and shrimp were not quite as good as the ones they had at Toro, they hit the spot after a long day of travel. Andy and Sam had returned to his house in good spirits; thoughts of Luke had been put on the backburner.

When they arrived back at Sam's it was just as Andy had remembered it, well what she saw on their frenzied way to his room and then what she remembered once the lights came on and she bolted. Sam's house was manly, but cozy. His living room held a large flat screen, as well as a leather sectional with a recliner built in. He also had another matching recliner along with a large coffee table. In one corner of the room Andy noticed something she had not seen during her last visit – a very large stone fireplace. Sitting next to the hearth was a small pile of firewood. The room was a mixture of dark wood and brown, a combination that did not surprise Andy in the least. His mantle and walls were sparse, but held mostly black and white prints. Andy noticed a few color photos dispersed on the mantle, and figured they were probably photos of Sarah and her family. Sam had never really discussed Sarah, and Andy hoped to meet her and her family someday.

Down a short hallway the space opened into Sam's kitchen and dining room. His kitchen looked like it had been recently updated. Gleaming marble countertops, high cabinets, and an island that held what looked like a beer fridge; along with stainless steel appliances made Andy wonder just how much money Sam really did make when he was undercover. The kitchen looked out onto the dining room, which housed a large mahogany table and a china cabinet. French doors led from the dining room to what looked like a large porch. Off the far side of the dining room were the stairs as well as a door that Andy guessed was the entrance to the basement. A hall closet by the front door and a half bath off the living room completed the first floor. Once Sam had set their bags down he took her hand and showed her the second floor. She definitely remembered his master bedroom, but had not noticed the large walk-in closet or attached master bath. The upstairs also held a main bathroom and two bedrooms. One had a full size bed and dresser as well as a small tv. It was decorated in a more feminine fashion and Andy guessed that was where Sarah stayed when she came. The other room held Sam's office and some free weights. Andy also noticed large folding doors in the hall and was impressed when Sam told her that housed his washer and dryer. Andy let out a low whistle.

"Wow, Sam. I figured you had a nice place, but I have to admit I was expecting more 'bachelor pad' than this." Sam laughed, "oh so milk crates and bedsheets for curtains?"  
he asked.

"Very funny, no not quite that, I just didn't really expect all of the luxury and attention to detail, but you've done a very nice job with this place, it's comfortable and it feels like a home," she told him honestly.

"Well, like I told you at our dinner, undercover work pays really well and the money you don't spend allows things like this to happen. I updated different sections of the house after each op I've done. Since we get a few mandatory weeks off, I usually visit Sarah or hit the Falls for a few days and then spend the rest of the time here. It's oddly relaxing and allows me to get out of my UC head and back into being Sam. I updated my bedroom just before I came back as your T.O., the only room left is my Master bath and closet. I have to say, I'm seriously considering that shower they had at the Hard Rock," he winked making Andy laugh.

"I promise if you decide to update the bathroom and add that shower, I will not complain and I will help you make sure it works properly," she quipped, her mind wondering back to their last romp in the shower that morning. She definitely would miss that place in general, but the shower would especially be hard to not have anymore.

"I know we don't have the same amenities here, but I'm pretty sure my shower holds two people comfortably," Sam eyed her up. "Hmmm," Andy said, looking at the stall closely, "I think we may have to test that out, I'm just not sure it really will do." She added, giving him a knowing look. Before she could add anything, Sam had already swept her up and was walking her towards his bath.

A little while later, when they had sufficiently tested Sam's shower, they laid in Sam's bed, he on his back, and Andy across his chest, aimlessly playing with his chest hair. Sam finally spoke, breaking the comfortable silence that fell between them. "I know you brought your things so you didn't have to worry about going back home before work tomorrow, and I'm really happy about that, but I also know that you don't always have an easy time staying in another bed. Vacation was different, but now that we are home I just don't want you to think you can't leave if you need to. The only thing I ask is that if you decide you can't stay, don't just leave. Don't sneak home in the middle of the night. I won't stop you from leaving or try to talk you out of it, but I want to at least drive you home so I don't wake up and worry, okay?" Sam looked her in the eyes. He had been thinking about this all night. He knew Andy had no problem sharing a bed with him on vacation, but now they were back to reality and she had long since had a problem with sleeping in other beds. He had overheard Callaghan complain about it on more than one occasion. Apparently Andy was pretty good at waiting for Luke to fall asleep, or go to his office to burn the midnight oil before she would take off. She had finally shared this with him after prodding her about it on one of their shifts. He understood why she did it, and wouldn't be upset with her, unless she snuck out. He didn't like the thought of her feeling like she couldn't at least tell him how she was feeling and that she needed to leave.

"I promise, if I want to go home, I will let you know. I won't sneak out on you, I swear. If it makes you feel better, I thought about that issue when I was getting my things together this afternoon. I really have no intention of going home until after our shift tomorrow night, that is unless you are planning to get rid of me early," she joked. "In all seriousness, Sam, I've never felt more comfortable or safe than when I'm with you. Even when I'm on vacation I usually have a terrible time sleeping. Last week was not like that. We barely slept but when we did, it was some of the best sleep I've had in years. I thought the first night I would wake up and want to go back to my room, but I didn't and I still don't. The only place I'll be leaving the bed for tonight is the bathroom, I swear," she leaned down and kissed him, as if to solidify her commitment. Sam smiled and kissed her back, his fingers going back to listlessly playing with her hair, "good. Now we should probably either get some sleep or stay up so we can sleep tomorrow ahead of night shift." Sam hated coming back to this rotation from extended time off. Nights were rougher than days to begin with, but trying to establish the new sleep pattern was also not fun. He was not looking forward to this rotation at all.

Andy grinned wickedly as she straddled his waist. "Well, we should probably stay up so we can sleep closer to morning. I have a few ideas as to what we can do to occupy our time…" Sam did not need to hear anything else and for the next few hours he and Andy had no trouble keeping themselves busy.

They spent the day ahead of their shift sleeping and eating in front of the tv while they caught up on shows. Sam and Andy had realized a long time ago that they had a lot of the same tastes in television. Most of what Sam had recorded over their vacation Andy had also recorded, so they caught up on shows until Oliver called asking if they wanted to head to the diner for an early dinner before shift. Sam had been shopping before picking up Andy the day before, but since neither really felt like cooking they decided to meet their friend.

The first few shifts passed in a blurry haze. They may have been on vacation, but the criminals of Toronto had not received the memo. Each night the rest of the week was filled with call after call. Sam and Andy arrived back at either his place or hers at the end of each shift thoroughly exhausted. They would fall into bed and wake up with enough time to do little more than laundry or eat before they headed back out the door. Save for Wednesday morning after their first shift back when Andy had breakfast with her father, this had become their routine. Although Tommy did have to laugh during breakfast when no more than 20 minutes since he and Andy left the station, Sam slid into the booth next to her, a slightly sheepish look on his face. Andy just shook her head and handed him the menu. Tommy was not shocked to find out Sam and his daughter had a change in their relationship. When he heard Sam was going, Tommy had wondered if the guy would finally step up to the plate and admit his feelings. Tommy had been one of Sam's TO's and had a lot of respect for the guy. Luke had gone through detective training on the tail end of Tommy's career and even though they didn't work together too long, Tommy had never been impressed and had been shocked when Andy first moved in with, than became engaged to the man. Sam had always seemed like the far better match, and Tommy knew life with the two of them would never be boring. He had breakfast with them on more than one occasion and had seen their banter for himself. He knew Sam was in love with Andy while she was still with Luke, and he suspected his daughter felt the same but was trying to protect that lion's heart. He was as shocked as everyone else when he found out what Luke did, not because of the situation, but because Sam was still allowing Luke to walk the Earth unharmed. Tommy smiled at Sam and the three of them enjoyed their breakfast, punctuated with laughter as they retold stories of their adventure. He especially laughed when Sam got to the part about the poker tournament. "I knew teaching her the game would come in handy some day," Tommy teased. When they parted, they left Tommy with a large smile on his face. He knew he had not always been a good father, and since becoming sober he had often wondered what effect his problems had on his only daughter. He had long since worried that she would settle rather than finding someone who truly loved her. He was glad Sam was able to admit his own feelings and convince Andy he was not going to hurt her. Tommy trusted Sam, and was happy to see his daughter happy. As they parted ways, Tommy hugged and kissed his daughter and shook Sam's hand, "you two get out of here and get some rest. You look like hell and I'm sure the next few days won't be easy either. I'm glad you had a great vacation, and I'm even happier to see the two of you finally admit your feelings. I've been waiting for that day to come." Tommy kissed a stunned Andy one more time and headed off towards his car. Sam laughed and walked hand-in-hand with Andy towards his own truck. Thinking Tommy was a lot more perceptive than Andy ever gave the old detective credit.

As tiring as their first rotation was, both Andy and Sam were still happy they were doing it together. They had a few interesting shifts, Sam had to remind himself he was working with his partner, and not his girlfriend on more than one occasion. At least once each night he had gone off in a huff while Andy filled out intake paperwork on a suspect they had brought in. By the time she was finished, she would find him back at the squad waiting for her along with a fresh coffee and a sincere apology. Andy tried to take it in stride, reminding herself that Sam was overprotective before they were a couple, and this was bound to happen, even if they both agreed not to let it. They had been good about leaving work at the station though, something they were both grateful for. Things finally came to blows after their last night shift, which had been shorter than the rest of their rotation. The gang decided to celebrate with a drink at the Penny before heading home. Andy had come in with Traci and Gail only to find Sam toe-to-toe with Luke. Sam looked like he wanted to strangle Luke, and Luke for his part looked like he was daring Sam to try. Oliver, Jerry, and Noelle were all trying to talk Sam down while Frank sat back, pretending not to see anything.

Andy took one look at the situation and sighed. It had already been a long night. They had been called to an out of control college party where a couple of the underage drinkers she was trying to write citations for had tried to cop a feel. Just when she thought Sam was really going to lose it, the young girl he was writing a ticket for seized her own opportunity to cop her own feel on Sam. Andy had seen more than one suspect try to flirt her way out of a ticket, and usually laughed as Sam wouldn't budge. This was the first time anyone had ever touched Sam and Andy thought she was going to lose it on the spot. "Oww! She's hurting me!" the girl had cried when Andy twisted her arm back to cuff her. "Did I touch your man, osifer?" she slurred, barely able to stand on her own. Andy just huffed and guided her to their cruiser, getting her in with a little more force than usual. Sam said nothing, as he was gladly cuffing one of the guys who had copped a feel of Andy only moments before. The ride back to the station was filled with tension. Because more arrests needed to be made, and the suspects were not really a danger to anyone but themselves, and that was only if their stomachs couldn't handle the drive, the arresting officers had to double up in their cruisers to get everyone back to the station. About five minutes into the ride the drunk girl finally couldn't contain herself anymore. "Hey, hey ummm Ma…ma'am? I didn't mean to grope your boyfriend. I didn't know Osifer Hottie was taken. Sawwy." She collapsed into her male companion in a fit of giggles. The guy they were transporting had a little more control of his speech and chimed in, "dude, for real? Is she your girlfriend? Is that why the cuffs are so tight? I didn't know man. How many times do you get a female officer with an ass like that? Am I right." Sam gritted his teeth, reminded both of their passengers they were to remain silent while under arrest, and sped up towards the station. Once their drunks were in the tank to dry out, Sam had stormed off leaving Andy to start the paperwork.

She was just getting to her desk when she ran into Traci, who had come in behind them with two other partygoers. "Some party, eh? They really don't know the meaning of low key, do they? I bet our cells are full before the night is over… hey what's wrong?" Traci had finally noticed the look on Andy's face.

"It's nothing, really. I'm just frustrated. Honestly, it will be okay," Andy told her friend, trying to brush it off.

"Are you sure, because your face says otherwise," Traci pointed out. Andy McNally had a good poker face, but she couldn't lie to her best friend. Andy sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Just be glad you don't work in the field with Jerry all the time. I mean, I still love working with Sam and I don't want to be partners with someone else, but it's definitely been more of an adjustment than I think we imagined when we talked about it last week. Sam's always been protective, but it's been moreso since we got home. One of the guys we transported copped a feel and I thought Sam was going to lose it. It's the third time it's happened this week. We've responded to some real fun ones lately. Anyway, before he could do anything, the girl he was dealing with copped a feel of her own and I lost it instead. I didn't cross any lines, but I definitely wasn't gentle considering she was nothing more than a drunk and disorderly. She's smaller than me and definitely not as strong. I knew I didn't have to grab her the way I did or make the cuffs as tight as I did but I couldn't help it." Andy hung her head. She knew she had come closer to coloring outside the lines than she really needed to on a call like this. Sam had taught her as a rookie that it was sometimes okay to color outside the lines, but not for something like this, and definitely not for the reasons Andy had.

Traci's laughter pulled Andy out of her head and back to reality. "Oh Andy, is that what has the two of you frustrated? I saw Sam huffing and puffing away making coffee for the TWO of you in the break room. I figured we missed something when we pulled up to that party. You guys are going to be fine. It really will get easier. I've either sat in on, or watched some of Jerry's interrogations on cases we've worked together. When we first got together it really bothered me when he would flirt with a suspect in order to get her to talk. I didn't ever realize how much it bothered him to see some of the things we go through until he let me run an interrogation once and the suspect hit on me and tried to grab my hand in his. I will never forget seeing Jerry's knuckles go white and I swear he practically shoved me out of the room. We had a long talk and both made promises to work on keeping our emotions in check. You and Sam had the theory down, but are having problems with the practical. You've officially been a couple for what, eight days? You'll figure it out. Frank told Jerry we're cutting out early tonight. Want to go to the Penny for one before calling it a night? After this rotation, I could use a drink," Traci eyed her friend, waiting for a reaction.

Andy rubbed her temples and nodded. "You're right, Trace. It all sounded so easy last week when we were thousands of miles away from Toronto and the badge. It's definitely not as easy, but I will talk to Sam and we will figure it out. It was starting to really piss me off how overprotective he was being, but when that girl copped the feel, I got it. I really did. I think I understood a little of what he feels when he sees it happen to me, and honestly someone getting a handful is low on the scale of what can happen out there. I'll file this for tomorrow and go find Sam," she told her friend, getting ready to stand. Before she was halfway out of her seat, a coffee was plunked down on the desk in front of her and a familiar voice was in her ear. "Why don't we get this paperwork done and Frank said we are good for the night," Sam looked at her apologetically. Andy said nothing, but nodded and sat back down in her seat. They worked silently for a few moments until Sam finally stopped and put down his pen. He glanced around the station and pulled Andy's chair closer to his own, straddling her so her knees touched his chair and his knees surrounded hers.

"I'm really sorry for tonight, this week really. I know in Punta Cana we talked about not letting these things happen, but that has been much easier said than done. Still, I know you can handle yourself out there. After all, you were trained by the best," he paused to smirk. Andy rolled her eyes but looked at him to continue, "anyway the point is, I've had a hard time keeping myself in check and I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you as a partner, and I'm really going to try hard to start to separate my riding partner McNally from my partner, Andy." Sam rubbed her thighs. He felt like an ass when they got back to the station. He knew he had done the same thing all week and she had not said a word. One look at her face told him that even if she wasn't saying anything, that brain of hers was working a mile a minute. He knew they needed to resolve things before they got worse. He meant it when he said he didn't want to lose his partner. If it came down to it, he would if it meant keeping his girlfriend, but he really felt they could learn how to be together both in and out of work, so as long as they both put their own stubbornness aside.

Andy was quiet as she let the words sink in. Finally, she looked at Sam and smiled. She rested her hands over his, rubbing his knuckles. "I'm sorry too. I've been getting frustrated with how overprotective you've been, but tonight when that girl copped a feel, I just reacted like a girlfriend and not like a partner. I definitely didn't need to cuff her as tight as I did. When the roles were reversed I caught a glimpse into what you have gone through this week and I didn't like it. We really do need to figure out how to do our jobs without letting our feelings interfere. I'm always going to worry about you as your partner, but I need to separate that worry as your girlfriend. I'm not angry with you, I'm just frustrated this whole thing isn't as easy as we thought it would be," she added, squeezing his hand.

Sam smiled, "I guess that's what's supposed to make it fun. Let's finish up this paperwork and get ready for a quick drink at the Penny with the gang. Then, I don't know about you but I'm ready to go home and sleep for a day."

"That sounds perfect," Andy told him. "Your house or mine?" The previous night Sam had slept at her house for the first time. Andy had to admit it was odd sharing her bed at her own home. Even when she had her own place before the condo, she had always gone to Luke's. On some subconscious level, her house was her own and the thought of letting someone into the place where she went to shut out the world had always made her feel anxious. Sam had been different, though. The night before they had worked later than usual and on the way out Andy mentioned her place was a few blocks closer. Sam didn't hesitate to drive straight there and pretty much collapsed face first on her bed when they arrived. Andy had just laughed and told him to make room. She slept soundly and woke up anxiety free. She knew from then on that it wouldn't matter where she and Sam slept, that she would always be more comfortable when she was with him than without.

"Doesn't matter to me. We can decide later. I'm going to hit the showers, do you want me to wait for you?" He asked. "It's okay. I want to dry my hair before I leave, unlike last time, I don't want there to be icicles in it when we get home." Sam chucked, the night before she had left with a wet head and even though he had the heat on full blast in his truck, the water had formed small ice crystals by the time she unlocked the door to her condo complex.

"Alright. I'll check with Jerry and see how Traci got to work today. If they drove in together, I will take Jerry with me and you can just ride with her, does that work?" He asked. Traci and Jerry had a lot of success telling Leo when they returned home, but due to their shift they had not been able to officially move Traci and Leo into Jerry's. That was planned for the upcoming weekend when everyone had off and volunteered to help the newlyweds.

"Sounds good. See you soon." Andy glanced around the station, and noticing no one watching leaned in to give Sam a quick kiss. She had wondered what their level of PDA would be once they were back at work. She had been surprised that Sam would steal a quick kiss when no one was looking. She had to admit it was nice. Neither of them were big fans of PDA, but she didn't like the idea that there would be none of it while they were at the station. She was silently glad Sam didn't seem to like the idea either.

It was waiting for Traci to finish her paperwork that caused Andy and Traci to walk in the Penny when they did. Andy took one look at the situation developing and sighed, "not tonight," as she quickly made her way to her boyfriend's side. She wasn't sure Sam even noticed her presence when she gently rubbed her fingers over one of his enclosed fists and felt his hand relax just enough to take her hand in his own. Andy smiled internally at the gesture, but outwardly kept the scowl aimed at Luke firmly on her face.

"I don't know what your problem is Callaghan, but this needs to stop. Tonight. There is no 'us', there will never be an 'us' again." She told him, pointing between the herself and him. "I know what you're thinking and I'm going to stop you while you are ahead. Even if I was single, that answer would not change. I am not in love with you. If you really want to know the truth, I'm not sure I ever really was. It's been weeks and it's getting old. Either you stop and leave me, and Sam, alone, or I'm going to let him take care of you." Andy stared Luke down. Enough was enough. As much as she did not want Sam to fight this one for her, the scene she walked in on told her it was much too late for that. Whatever transpired before her arrival made it personal for Sam, and she knew him well enough to know he would not just walk away from that.

"You heard the lady, Callaghan, time to give it up, pal" Oliver chimed in from behind Sam. He and Jerry still had a hand on Sam's elbows. They were not about to let go until they knew this was really over. As much as they would love to see Sam deck the guy, they knew it would only make things worse, even if Frank had promised he would make it go away.

"I don't get it, Andy, I really don't. You would have had it so easy with me. I was never afraid to show my feelings or share my life with you. This guy hid his for how long? I know I messed up, but it was a one time thing. We all make mistakes. I've never held your little indiscretion the night of the blackout over your head. Or Sam's for that matter," Luke scoffed. He knew by the look in both Sam and Andy's eyes that it was a losing battle. If he was really honest with himself, he knew she was in love with her partner since before Jo had even come back to the division. Luke had always figured as long as she continued to lay in his bed every night, he was still winning. He never let himself draw the conclusion that if Andy was in love with Sam, it meant she wasn't in love with him. Their relationship was easy and simple and he didn't have to change who he was so he just went along with it. Seeing the two of them stand up to him, and seeing their friends ready to back them up made Luke realize he was never going to win. It didn't mean he was going down easy though.

Andy and Sam both saw red when Luke mentioned the blackout. While they had definitely crossed a line that night, it was nowhere near what Luke and Jo had done and they knew Luke knew that. "You asshole." Andy broke first, but was cut off by Sam. "She apologized for that and you forgave her, Callaghan. What's wrong? Did you always wonder what would have happened if the lights hadn't come back on? I can tell you the answer, and it's that Andy never would have said yes to you about anything ever again." This time it was Sam's turn to scoff.

For a guy who knew he wasn't winning the fight, this did not make Luke back off. His own fists tightened as he took another step forward, coming impossibly closer to Sam. "How does it feel, Sam? Knowing you will always have my leftovers?" Luke spat. He knew it was the wrong thing to say, but his own temper had gotten the better of him, even if he knew his own indiscretions had ruined his relationship with Andy.

In the blink of an eye Sam both wrestled out of the guy's grip and dropped Andy's hand. Bringing both fists up he was less than an inch from shattering Luke's jaw when he felt a smaller hand stop his fist in its' tracks. The sensation snapped Sam out of his anger-filled haze to realize it was his girlfriend and her own iron grip that had kept him from rearranging Luke's jaw. He looked dead into Andy's eyes and saw nothing but pure anger and he knew it was over. He wasn't quite sure where the anger was directed, but he had a feeling it wasn't all towards Luke. Andy had been very clear that as much as she would not mind seeing Sam rearrange Luke's face, she did not want him in her fight. Sam knew she would have to admit that Luke had provoked Sam by making it personal. He also knew now was not the time to point that out.

"That's IT!" Andy shouted so loud the entire bar stopped to look at the scene. "You!" She turned, shoving her finger into Luke's chest. "If I hear from you again and it's not at all related to a case, I'm having Frank press charges for harassment. You think I'm joking? Try me. If I'm nothing more than 'leftovers' than what do you care anyway? Go back to Jo, or just go. No one here wants you. No one here will ever want you." Andy yelled. Luke was stunned. He knew he went too far, but he never imagined Andy would threaten to charge him. He knew she wasn't bluffing. The McNally temper was infamous and it was well known through the division that Andy had inherited the temper from her father. Tommy McNally never bluffed and neither did his daughter. Luke nodded. "I'm gone," he told her. He put signaled that he had paid his tab and without looking at the rest of the gang, he left without another word.

Sam didn't say anything. He had seen Andy lose her temper on only a few occasions and knew that when she did, no one could really talk her down. He had been able to on the occasions when she lost it, but the temper was not partially directed at him. He knew she was probably pissed that he let Luke get the better of him and was about to risk his career, knowing Luke, on something that was decidedly not worth it.

Andy spun on her heel to face her boyfriend. On the one hand, she wasn't shocked things had gone this far and when Luke made that last comment, there was a part of her that really wanted to see Sam rearrange his face structure. The logical part of her though told her that it wasn't going to end things and she was angry that Sam had not listened when she asked him repeatedly to let her handle it. She knew the things their friends had said about the situation were true, but she still did not feel like it was Sam's fight. Yes, Luke had made it personal, but he did it to provoke Sam into fighting him, something Andy was sure Luke knew she wouldn't have wanted.

Sam continued to stay silent. Oliver and Jerry slunk back behind him at the sight of her gaze. Somewhere behind them, Andy could faintly here Traci and Noelle chuckle at the guy's reaction. "I'm going home. To my place. Alone. I think we need a night apart." Andy told Sam. Without another word she turned and walked out the door. Sam didn't know what to say, or do and stood there blankly staring behind her before grabbing his coat and going after her. He wouldn't try to talk her out of her plan, but he didn't want her to walk either. It was late and cold and it had been a long night.

She was halfway across the lot when she felt a familiar touch on her arm. "I'm not going to argue with you tonight," Sam told her, "but please, let me drive you home. It's late and freezing and I know you're exhausted." Andy didn't say a word, but nodded and allowed Sam to walk her to the truck. The ride to her place was silent until Sam pulled up at her complex. He put the gear in park and put his hand on hers.

"If you wake up and don't want to be alone, call me. I don't care what time it is, I'll come over. If not, call me when you get up in the morning and we can get together and talk, okay?" Andy nodded. "I love you," he told her. "I'm sorry."

Andy smiled a small smile and put her other hand on his cheek. "I love you, too. I just need the night to myself." She told him. He nodded. He wasn't sure if he should try to kiss her, but figured the worst that would happen is she would hop out before he got close. Andy couldn't help but giggle at his hesitation before he leaned towards her. She gave him a sweet, chaste kiss and whispered, "I love you", one more time before opening the door and hopping out. She unlocked the complex door and turned to wave, letting Sam know she was good. Sam waved back and put the truck in drive, sighing. He knew there would come a night in the future where they would end up alone, but he hadn't wanted it to happen this way. He knew some space was good for them, especially at this stage in their relationship, but he didn't like it. Marveling at the revelation that he, Sam Swarek, would miss his girlfriend after only one night alone, Sam set off for home. Knowing he would set things right in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : About 2 paragraphs into the last chapter I realized I would need to have a chapter before I started the actual season. I also decided to forego using italics to indicate things that happened in the past. I felt it was still pretty easy to follow along, however if italics work better for a lot of you, I will gladly add them in.

In intertwining the season with own version of what I would have liked to see, there will be things rewritten or not there at all. I'm trying to fit some of the procedural parts of each episode into my already developed story in the hope that the final product is a nice mash-up of things we've seen and things we have not.

I also want to apologize in advance to any Luke fans. I don't think he's really a bad person, I just think he messed up royally, but since I wanted him to, I wasn't upset. For the purposes of the plot in this story, he goes that extra douchebag mile. I'm not a Luke hater by any means, he just provided an excellent early villain in this story.

I do want to mention that I may not always spend a lot of time on the specific details of each episode. I loved some more than others, and I just do not have the time to re-watch the full season right now. I'm doing this solely from memory, and while some quotes will be from the script, most will be my version of them. I apologize in advance if this annoys anyone.

I'm also not going to write any M rated scenes for a little while. One of the things that frustrated me in S3 was that lack of McSwarek sexy time we were all hoping for, however, in the characters developing their relationship at home, I think the awkwardness of some of their moments will fit in nicely now. While there is obvious innuendos to sexy time happening, I'm going to tease a little before I really give up the goods. LOL I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 2

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Andy sighed as she packed her bag and got ready to head to the airport. The last month had definitely not been what she expected since they returned from vacation. After the events at the Penny, Luke had decided to blow off steam by throwing himself into one of his open cases. As he was walking through the station he recognized one of the women in the holding cells. Unfortunately for Andy, the young woman she arrested had been one of Luke's conquests after their break-up and Jo's departure. Luke stopped to find out why she was sitting in one of his cells and a lightbulb went off when she told him how she ended up in the tank. He knew he had lost Andy for good, that didn't mean he couldn't make things just a little more difficult for her.

Sam and Andy had the day off after the Penny incident. When Andy woke, alone in her condo, she took the morning to get caught up on housework and do some thinking. She realized that Sam's reaction to Luke could have been much worse, and she was grateful to him for backing off enough to let her handle the situation. Replaying the events in her mind, she really should have let Sam loose on Luke, even though if it had messed with his career she would have regretted the choice. Luke had always been a sore loser and in the back of Andy's mind she had done what she could to protect Sam from Luke's eventual payback.

By midmorning she had enough of being alone, she had to admit she missed Sam more than she thought. For someone who never minded doing her own thing when she was with other guys, Luke included, Andy had grown very used to being with Sam all the time. It was at that moment she realized she would probably spend very few nights alone as long as she and Sam were together. At least, if he felt the same she would. She was just about to call him when there was a knock at the door.

Opening the door, Andy couldn't help but smile. There was Sam, a matching smile on his own face. Without a word he stepped in the condo, closed the door and wrapped her in his arms. She caught his lips in a heated kiss and for a few minutes they were lost in each other. When the finally broke apart Sam smirked, "miss me, McNally?"

Andy stepped away and rolled her eyes, leading Sam into her living room. "Do you want anything to drink?" she asked, heading toward her kitchen.

"I'm good, but thanks," Sam called. He figured she would want to talk more about the night before. He was also hoping he could convince her that everything really would be okay.

Andy returned with a water for herself and settled on her couch next to Sam. She turned sideways and he grabbed her legs, pulling them into his lap. After a night apart, he needed to be able to touch her. The feeling must have been mutual because Andy began running her fingers gently up and down Sam's forearm, resting across her lap.

"Andy, listen, I'm sorry for losing it last night. We got to the Penny and Luke was already there buying drinks. I wasn't going to say a word until he very loudly asked Jerry is you were coming with Traci. He said he had already taken the liberty of buying your first drink and didn't want it getting warm. I tried to ignore him, but he wouldn't let up. He kept asking me why I wasn't with you, and were things really that great between us. When you came in, he made a comment about you being his sloppy seconds and I couldn't handle it anymore." Sam looked intently at Andy as she took everything in. He knew she walked into the middle of what looked like Sam about to kill Luke, and he had no problems taking credit for that, but he wanted her to know the context of the fight. If the roles were reversed, Luke would have no problems telling her all Sam had said.

Andy sighed. As she lay in her bed trying to fall asleep the night before, she had plenty of time to think about what could have happened to get Sam to the point he was when she walked in. She knew he was trying really hard to keep his emotions about Luke in check and to let her handle things. They had agreed on the way to the Shaw's the day they came back that it would only make things worse if she let Sam loose on Luke.

"I figured he provoked you. I know you meant it last week when you said you were going to try as hard as you could to let me fight this one. When I saw how turned up you were, I knew there was no way it was without provocation from him. He's always been good at that. I had been hoping he would save it for me, but I should have known better. I'm glad the guys were there to keep you from doing something Luke surely would have tried to get you in trouble for. I'm also happy that you kept that calm even after the things Luke said to you when I was standing there. I know in his mind he somehow won because he still had me first, but if I'm honest that's not really true. Yes, I dated him and was engaged to him before we got together, but he never really 'had' me. He couldn't. Not when a part of me has always held out for you." She looked him square in the eye. She knew that some of what Luke said had to really hit a nerve with Sam. She needed him to know Luke had it all wrong.

Sam smiled and leaned in to place a sweet kiss on Andy's lips. When he pulled back, he caressed her cheek. "That is good to know. It did bother me a little when I replayed Luke's words last night, until I realized something. He may have had you first, but I have you last. Those are much better odds. He will always have to wonder about your choice and if you were really all in on your relationship. I won't ever have to wonder because I already know. Sometimes second place isn't a bad thing," he winked. Andy laughed.

They had spent the rest of the day lounging around Andy's condo, dozing off between makeout sessions. Both had admitted they slept really crappy the night before. While the agreed that it was good to get some space from each other now and then, the space should be on better terms and when they have conflicting schedules or things going on. In the past couple weeks both had grown used to being in each other's arms- and bed. They were discussing dinner options when there was a knock on Andy's door. Confused, Andy went to answer it, hoping it wasn't Luke there for round two.

She was shocked when Frank stood waiting for her, still in uniform. "Frank! I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you until parade tomorrow. Come on in, do you want something to drink? Sam and I were just discussing dinner plans…" Andy trailed off not knowing what to say. She was used to vacation Frank, but seeing her boss in front of her in uniform spelled trouble for Andy. She knew Frank had been ignoring them at the Penny the night before and hoped he was only here to get some overtime out of she and Sam.

"Frank! Hey brother, how are you? What brings you here?" Sam asked. He heard Andy greet him and a quick text to Oliver and Jerry gave him nothing. Sam knew enough to know if Frank was making a house call, something was up.

"Hey Sam, Andy. Sorry to interrupt your evening. Do you mind if we all sit down and talk?" Frank asked, trying to keep professional. When he got the call from HQ earlier, he had been livid. Sam and Andy were one of his best teams, and even though he knew they were adjusting to their new partnership off the clock, he also knew they had been able to do their jobs without anything major happening. The call from downtown was the last thing he expected to receive this afternoon.

"I wish I were here on better terms, but something happened and I wanted to come talk to you about it personally, and in a place we wouldn't be interrupted. I received a phone call from headquarters today. Andy, do you remember the young woman you threw in the drunk tank last night?" Frank asked, praying she would remember the call well.

"Yes, we broke up a frat party on Jarvis. We were in the midst of issuing a citation to her and one of the frat guys when he copped a feel on me and she copped a feel on Sam. Sam took over the arrest of the male and I arrested her. I may have put her cuffs a little too tight in comparison to what I normally would, but I didn't hurt her or use unnecessary force." Andy was beginning to panic slightly. Had she done something she blocked out? Surely Sam would have said something. Had the girl filed a formal complaint?

Frank nodded. Sam couldn't take it anymore, "what's this about Frank? Nothing we did was outside the lines, no excessive force was used. Why are you getting calls from HQ about a drunk and disorderly?" Sam respected Frank and all he did, but this was ridiculous. Unless the girl was someone's daughter, and most of them carry an Independent's ID card that identifies they are related to someone on the force, he couldn't see why this was suddenly a huge issue. They had no less than 10 people from that party in their holding cells by the time Sam left for the Penny. How could there be an issue with one of them?

Frank sighed. After he tried sorting out things downtown he decided to do a little investigation of his own. He pulled video from the holding area the previous night. Then he pulled Jerry. Sam and Andy were not going to like what he was about to tell them.

"I received a call from HQ about a complaint they received from the young woman you brought in last night. Her name is Brooke Andrews. According to Brooke, you used excessive force when arresting her because she copped a feel on Sam. She said she knew he was your boyfriend and felt that your force was because you were trying to show dominance. She doesn't necessarily want your badge, but she wants you and Sam broken up as partners and would also like one of you transferred."

Andy sat in shock letting the words roll over her as Sam jumped up. "Are you kidding me, Frank?" Sam shouted, not caring about being calm and professional. "All of this over a pair of handcuffs put on a little too tightly? There were FOUR other officers on scene who can all attest to Andy NOT using any kind of excessive force on the suspect. This is ridiculous. It doesn't make sense." Sam added, as he began pacing the room. Something did not add up. Headquarters had often received complaints from wealthy college students worried their parents would find out about some of their not so great activities. This was usually a tactic to get the charge to disappear, not get a partnership broken up and someone transferred. This reeked of…

"There's more to the story, isn't there Frank?" Sam asked. He was trying desperately not to go there, but the skilled interrogator and officer that he was told him that this wasn't really coming from the girl they arrested.

"There is. After I tried smoothing things over, and I will get to that in a moment, after I hung up I decided for myself that something wasn't right. Usually we just drop the charge and everyone goes home happy. The suspect still has to pay the citation, but the parents never know the wiser. This was beyond excessive for the collar. I decided to pull video from the holding area to see if something transpired after we all left for the evening. I found something very, very interesting. About ten minutes after the fight at the Penny, Luke entered through the bay. He was just about to the doors that lead to the main part of the station when he stopped. The video shows him walking towards the suspect and you can see them having a conversation. Luke asks the night officer to unlock the cell and he escorts the girl into the station."

Sam could feel his anger rising. He KNEW this reeked of something Luke would do to get back at Sam, but especially Andy. If he couldn't have her, he would make like harder on her and Sam. Andy just continued to sit with her head in her hands. She wanted the Earth to swallow her whole. How could this be happening? How could someone she thought would never hurt her cause all of this pain?

Frank continued, "Luke took her into an Interrogation Room that still had audio/video running, however he realized it just after she told him what happened. She was still clearly intoxicated and I doubt she noticed anything was on, let alone Luke excusing himself to shut everything off. I pulled Jerry aside and had him check into the girl. Luke and Jerry have long since made it clear that they keep their personal business to themselves so Luke feels comfortable around Jerry, even now. He ran out and left his personal cell on his desk. Jerry had no problems going through it. Brooke Andrews seems to be a good, eh, friend of Luke's. There were a few texts between them when Jerry checked the phone. It seems like Luke asked her to help him and in return he made her charge go away. She walked away with a fine, and you two are the ones left to suffer the consequences of Luke's own indiscretions. Unfortunately, Luke has always been in the back pocket of most of the white shirts downtown, so getting them to want to investigate your relationship on a collar like this was pretty easy for him to pull off."

Sam finally sat down next to Andy, pulling her to him, he stroked her hair whispering "it will be okay, it will all be okay. We will fix this. I promise," as he gently rocked her. Andy finally looked at Frank, her eyes red.

"So now what. Surely you didn't come here just to tell us this, Frank. What do we need to do in order to make this go away?" Andy wanted to know. She would do anything to fix this.

"It took a lot of convincing to get a solution we could all live with from HQ. I don't know what sort of pull Luke has, or if he has something on one of the people down there, but he definitely dug a big hole for you two. Headquarters wanted your immediate break-up and transfers put in by the close of business. I argued that your record as partners speaks for itself. I also argued that you two are not only two of my best officers, but one of the best partnerships in the entire force. You have racked up an impressive record since being paired together, one they could not argue. In order to make everyone happy, however, I had to agree to suspend both of you, with pay, for the next two weeks. I also had to agree to inform you that you will both need to meet in front of the Tribunal at separate times to explain for yourselves why you should be allowed to be partners on and off the job. I did call them back and bring up the evidence I have against Luke. They will be investigating that further, and he has been reassigned until further notice. I also had to agree to one more thing, and neither of you are going to like it."

Sam thought he was going to lose his mind. There was more? While a three week vacation with pay wasn't such a bad thing, he was already mentally booking an extended trip out of Toronto for he and Andy, the idea of having to defend their relationship to the people downtown was not appealing. Andy had gone white when Frank mentioned that part. The McNally name was not the best on the force, thanks to her father. She had long since decided if she could keep herself away from the Tribunal, the better her career would be.

"Give it to us Frank. Whatever it is, just rip off the band-aid." Frank hesitated for a moment. "The shirts have requested that your suspensions be spent apart. From each other. They would like you to limit your contact."

"What?! Are you kidding me? First we are in trouble for something we didn't even do wrong, and now as some sort of middle ground, WE can't be together for the next three weeks just to prove we are able to keep our relationship in check? This is ridiculous. Why are they doing this?" Andy finally spoke up. When Frank had said suspension she wanted to curl into a ball and sob, but the idea of three weeks alone with Sam really was not a bad thing. This, however, was awful. She wanted to murder Luke.

"Come on Frank, they can't be serious. What does three weeks apart prove?" Sam asked. He knew headquarters well enough to know they made some dumb decisions, and this one really took the cake.

"I don't know, but I think if it makes this whole thing blow over and you two don't need to transfer, get new partners, or deal with Luke anymore, it's a small price to pay. Listen, I know it's the last thing you want, but I told them I would make it happen. You guys have tonight, but starting tomorrow LIMITED contact. As in try to keep your phone calls and texts to a minimum and do not see each other. I mean it. You know HQ has eyes and ears everywhere. Don't give them ammunition against you at the Tribunal. You will receive your date and times in the mail or by phone. Once you have met with them, you are both cleared for duty. I'm not happy about being down two officers at the height of Spring Break, but when this is all over things go back to normal and Luke won't be around. So can you guys please just do this? I know it's not fair, I tried to argue that point to no avail." Frank felt terrible. They were really getting the worst end of the deal over another man's jealousy.

That had been three weeks ago. Frank left the two of them alone shortly after and for another hour Andy sat in Sam's arms, sobbing and yelling about how much she wanted Luke to pay for this. Sam did too, but he knew it was futile. Luke had done enough time and put enough really bad people behind bars for them to be able to ever retaliate for this. Sam couldn't bear to see Andy continue to be upset and suggested he give her a massage to calm her nerves. His suggestion worked and they spent their last night together Christening Andy's condo.

A day into their suspension, when Andy had already scrubbed her condo from top to bottom, rearranged her wardrobe and was debating on painting a wall in her living room, her dad called. Frank, then Sam had called Tommy to let him know what was going on. Since Tommy often dropped by 15 to surprise Andy, Frank wanted him to know why he wouldn't find her. Sam wanted to reassure Tommy that Andy really was okay, and that they would beat this. Tommy knew Andy did not do well with time and space and decided to help his daughter take her mind off things. He suggested a father/daughter vacation to North Bay. Tommy had already planned on spending the month up there fishing, but thought it would be nice if Andy joined him. They rarely had a chance to do things like this anymore. As much as Andy didn't want to be too far away from Toronto, both Sam and Tommy assured her she was a plane ride away and could be back for her Tribunal in no time. Sam also assured her he would be okay, telling her he made plans to visit Saint Catherine's and Sarah as well as to start renovations on his Master Bath and closet. After this, they were more than deserving of a stone shower of their own.

Before Andy knew it, three weeks had passed. Reception in Temagami was not the greatest, and she and Sam had a hard time communicating. When they did, it was short and sweet. A day earlier, Sam called to let her know he had been called before the Tribunal and cleared. Frank desperately needed them back on duty. He tried to pull strings to get them both cleared early, but the Tribunal would only budge for Sam, since he was the superior officer. While she was happy to spend time with her father, Andy was starting to lose her mind. She liked North Bay, and had spent a great deal of time doing some retail therapy, but she desperately missed Sam. Each time they spoke he told her the same thing. If any good came of the experience, it was that she learned the depth of her love for Sam. As hard as the last three weeks had been, she knew it was small in comparison to a lifetime without him. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him forever. The day before, she was at the main lodge of the fishing resort she and her dad were staying at when she saw an ad for skydiving. Andy had always wondered what it would be like to jump out of a plane and before she knew it, she had made a reservation. She hadn't been able to contact Sam the rest of the day, so he had no idea. Oh well, Andy thought as she strapped on the helmet and boarded the small single engine after going through the training and safety videos. She would have a great story for him later. She knew he was back at work today, and the thought of not working with him was weighing heavily on her heart. This jump would be just what she needed to clear her head.

They were almost at the altitude for the jump when she felt a vibration in the pocket of her cargo pants. Recognizing the number as a Toronto one, she answered. It was hard to hear over the sound of the engine and the wind, but she was able to confirm her Tribunal appointment for the following afternoon. Finally! This whole nightmare was almost over. She put her phone away, told the instructor she was getting her job back and it was the first day of the rest of her life and jumped out of the plane.

Twenty-four hours later Andy and her carryon were riding down an escalator at Toronto International when she spotted him. Sam stood before her in his uniform, wearing his aviators, and holding a sign. "Dummy". She couldn't help but smile. Sam had been beyond thrilled when she finally got through to him that morning on his way to his cruiser. He told Oliver to cover his route while he ran an errand – he didn't want to jeopardize seeing Andy before they were supposed to, but he had to pick her up. He had been a little less thrilled when she excitedly told him that she had gone skydiving to "clear her mind". Sam had no ambition to ever jump from a perfectly good plane, but felt that if someone was going to do it, their mind should already be pretty well and clear. He had told her as much before ending the call to the sound of her laughter.

Sam tried to remain calm, cool, and professional. He really didn't think anyone at the airport would know them, let alone get things back to the Tribunal, but he wanted to make sure her meeting went smoothly. Especially since he hadn't been so calm and cool at his own. He drove the point home, but a little more tact would have been the better way to go, he decided over beers with the guys later that night. Also, after three long weeks apart, all Sam wanted to do was take her in his arms and show her how much he missed and loved her. Unfortunately, her call came a little too late and he was in uniform, and technically on duty.

She came as close as she could to him without crossing any boundaries of decency in public. He continued to give her that cocky Swarek look before turning on his heel and heading for the doors. "Do you have any luggage?" he asked. "No." came an exasperated reply. Clearly Andy had hoped their reunion would be different. After a pause he then heard, "yes". He nodded, smiling to himself and set off for baggage claim.

After carrying her things through the airport and a few more snarky remarks about why she needed a paddle of all things, and her response about flannel, her baggage was finally in the trunk of the cruiser and they were well and truly alone. Sam drove silently through Toronto and just when Andy thought she couldn't take it anymore, he jerked the car over and parked under a shady tree on a quiet street. Without missing a beat he threw the cruiser in park and in another second had taken Andy in his arms and planted a long overdue kiss squarely on her shocked, open lips. It took Andy a split second to catch up before returning the kiss in kind. The next few minutes were a flurry of kisses and hands as they both attempted to rememorize the others face and upper body, as much as anyone could with clothes on. When the finally let the moment catch up with them, Sam pulled back just far enough to look into those beautiful brown eyes.

"Hey," his voice was barely above a whisper. God he missed this woman. He tried for three weeks to throw himself first into visiting his sister, and then into his bath and closet remodel but she was constantly on his mind. Especially as he was installing the dual shower heads. He knew that he could not live without her, and he also knew he would never be able to adequately express just how much he loved her. It didn't mean he would ever give up trying.

"Hey," Andy answered back, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "I missed you so much," she choked out before wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. Sam let her sit that way for a few minutes before her emotions got the better of him. "Hey, hey, McNally, Andy… sweetheart, shh. It's okay. You're here, I'm here. The Tribunal will be fine. Everything will be back to normal by tonight. Until you show me your skydiving video and I nearly have a heart attack of course," he tried to joke with her.

It worked, Andy couldn't help but laugh against his chest as she pulled herself together and sat back into her seat. "I'm sorry. These last three weeks were tougher than I imagined and I just, I've been waiting to see you since the moment we left. I love my dad and it was good to spend time with him, but it was too long to be apart from you. I don't want to do it again," she told him.

"Good, because sweetheart, the feeling is mutual. Now, let's get you home before anyone really starts to miss me on shift." Sam told her, reluctantly releasing his grip on her arms and starting the cruiser back up. As they drove back towards the city they settled back into their usual banter. Unable to escape the elephant in the room any longer, Andy asked what was on her mind since she heard Sam had been cleared.

"So what happened at your Tribunal?" she nonchalantly looked at her partner. Sam knew she would eventually ask, and he didn't want upset her by telling her how he almost lost it with the committee.

"Oh it was great, I blamed it all on you." Sam smirked. "Haha, Sam. Very funny. Come on, what happened?" Andy prodded.

"I told them the same thing I told you and Frank three weeks ago when this whole mess started, that my personal life was none of their business and did not change how I did my job. They all seemed to get that except one woman who started to push into our relationship. I finally lost it and told her that the only reason I was really standing there was to make you happy. I told them all you wanted was to keep being a cop, and all I wanted was you. Therefore, I was willing to go through this nonsense to get things back to normal for you, for us." Sam sighed. He had really tried to keep his emotions in check during his hearing, but that woman had pushed the wrong button. He wasn't lying though. All he wanted was Andy. If it meant making sacrifices in his career, so be it.

Andy sat in shocked silence for a moment. Sam turned to look at her briefly when she suddenly yelled "look out!" Before Sam could fully react, they had hit a car which had already had an accident with a van. Sam and Andy were still for a moment while the shock washed over them. Turning to each other and making sure the other was okay, they tore out of the cruiser and over to the sedan where a woman looked badly injured. Sam attended to the woman while Andy went to check the van. She noticed thick smoke coming from the front hood and worried a fire would soon follow. Sure enough a girl was trapped in the back of the van and Andy was looking for a way to get her out when fire burst through the dash. Scrambling for the keys still in the ignition, Andy finally got them and was able to free the girl, however not before having to climb into the smoke filled van to get her. She helped the limping teenager to the side of the road and told her to stay while she continued to look for survivors. Oliver pulled onto the scene with what looked like a new rookie just as Andy was rushing back to Sam's side.

"Sammy, you okay? McNally… McNally what are you doing here? Sam what is she doing here? You know…" Oliver could not believe his eyes. He knew his friend had made his point clear in the Tribunal hearing and that the last three weeks had been long ones, but he also knew Sam just wanted things to be right for him and Andy again. Her being with him before her hearing, in public where they could easily be caught was not going to help. Oliver felt bad for them, but didn't want anything to go wrong today.

"It's fine, Oliver don't worry about it. Okay so we accidentally hit this sedan that had been hit by this van here. Driver of the sedan will need to see a doc, looks like a broken leg. No one else in the car with her, Andy, did you say you found someone?" Sam looked at his girlfriend. He could tell she had definitely been searching and probably got too close to the smoke and fire of the van.

"Yeah, I found a girl in the back of the van. No sign of the driver though. Let me go get her. I put her on the side of the road, she's limping. Will need another bus…" Andy trailed off as she pointed to the spot where the girl had been. "Where did she go? She was just there?"

"Are you sure the smoke didn't get to you?" Sam asked, trying to look in her eyes to see if she had a concussion. He had not seen any girl.

"I know what I saw Sam. There was a girl. She was right over there." Andy was exasperated. She knew she hit her head when they crashed, but not that hard!

"It's fine, listen why don't you two go search for her while I manage the scene? G.I. Joe here can go to the hospital with the driver of the sedan and get her statement. He speaks Army so I'll have to translate." Sam couldn't help but chuckle. Every once in a while a rookie would come through after getting out of the military. They were always very serious and played by the book. Sam detested military rookies. The white shirts loved them and they always seemed to get transferred and a promotion not long after being cut loose. At least it also meant 15 didn't have to deal with them for long.

Sam and Andy went off in search of the missing girl. It wasn't long into their search when they realized they stumbled on a much larger crime. What should have been an easy ride to Andy's condo turned quickly into a daylong hunt for a kidnapper and child predator. Oliver finally put his foot down when he realized it was soon time for Andy to appear in front of the board. He told Sam he would cover for him so he could drop Andy at her place.

Sam pulled up at the condo and before she jumped out Andy suddenly turned and planted a long, deep kiss on her unsuspecting boyfriend. "Thanks for picking me up today, and for keeping your cool enough at the hearing to get your job back. I don't know that I will be as blunt as you were, but I'm not going down without a fight. You, us, we're worth fighting for, Sam." She grinned at him as she gave him one more kiss and excited the cruiser. She had just enough time to shower, change, and hop a cab downtown. Sam smiled as he watched her enter her building. He knew whatever was going to happen, he and Andy were going to fight like hell to be together. He couldn't wait to see her later that night.

Andy's hearing was a lot tenser than Sam's seemed to be. She felt like they were interrogating her about not only her career, but all of her relationships in the last few years. Andy tried to remain calm and professional, but finally she lost it.

"I don't know what you all want me to say. I've done my job to the very best of my ability. I know I did not use excessive force on that college student, who was so drunk she was stumbling, and who also assaulted my partner. I had his back out there, just like I would with anyone else I was paired with. My personal life has no bearing on my decision making abilities, nor does it have any bearing on my ability to continue doing my job partnered with Officer Swarek. Our record speaks for itself. As for what we do off the clock, that's our business. Compared to what some of your officers do on the clock, we should be the least of your worries. Our feelings have no bearing on how we do our job. I love this job, it's all I've ever wanted. However, I also love Sam. I'm in love with Sam Swarek. I know how to separate that from my professional relationship with Officer Swarek." Andy huffed. She had it. They could do what they wanted, as long as she and Sam were together off the clock, Andy didn't care at this point.

"Excuse me, officer? What was that remark about some officers on the clock?" an older man asked her, looking at his notes. There was a slight murmur down the table. Andy had piqued the interest of the Tribunal for reasons other than her rant.

Andy swallowed. She had not wanted to throw Luke under the bus, choosing not to stoop to his level. She hadn't thought about losing her cool in front of the committee, but now that it was out there, she decided she wasn't going to lie. After all, that would really be stooping to his level.

"Well, sir. It seems that the woman who called the complaint that brought me here today is friends with Detective Callaghan. I noticed no one had an issue when I was dating Detective Callaghan and at one point we were living together and engaged," she added.

"Engaged? No I'm afraid we did not know that information," the man responded. "However, that does not really answer the question," he added.

"Well the reason we are no longer engaged, in fact, I think the real reason you are questioning my professional and personal relationship with Officer Swarek has a lot do to with my former relationship with Detective Callaghan. You see, one of the main reasons we are no longer together is because of a night of infidelity Detective Callaghan engaged in with Detective Jo Rosati. While they were on a stakeout mission at a downtown hotel. On the division's dime." She added for good measure. If she was going to tell the truth, she wasn't leaving anything out.

"Really?" the man answered, he and his colleagues began scribbling notes furiously on their notepads. "Do you happen to recall when this incident took place?"

"Oh, I absolutely can, sir." Andy responded. She sat down and began to give the board the gritty details.

Sam had been nursing beers at the Penny with Jerry and Oliver for over an hour when Andy finally walked through the door. She had clearly run home to change, and was now dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt. Sam took this as a sign things went well. Or Andy had to wash the terrible day off before she came to see them. Still, he had hope. He felt if things really went south, she would have called him immediately when it was over. When she told him they were still on for the Penny, he had breathed a sigh of relief and went to wait for her.

The rookies had been sitting at a small round table, and when Andy arrived, they all yelled for her, holding up a pitcher and a glass. Sam motioned for Jerry and Oliver to join him and before long, another table had been added to the rookie table. Andy had given Sam a hug and kiss when she greeted him, and her beaming smile told Sam everything was okay. Once drinks had been poured, Oliver couldn't wait any longer. Besides, he and Dov were expecting a delivery.

"Come on, McNally, out with it. We know how Sammy's hearing went, how about you?" Andy took a long sip of her beer. She had already planned on leaving out some things to share with Sam later, such as how she told the board she was in love with him. "It went okay. I told them my piece and that all I've ever wanted was to wear the badge. I told them I could keep my personal and professional life separate and that I absolutely did not use excessive force. Oh, and I told them about Luke and Jo," she added nonchalantly.

"You what?!" Sam sputtered, almost spraying her with his beer. Around the table their friends grinned. They had been hoping Sam and Andy would stop taking the high road on this. They knew Sam decided to not throw the guy under the bus even though they all agreed they would have if they had been in the situation.

Andy smiled at her boyfriend and reached under the table. Finding his free hand and lacing her fingers with his, she continued. "We got to a point where I felt they either were not buying it, or had already made their decision. This made me angry and I started to lose it and well, it slipped out. I didn't feel bad once I told them, either. Luke caused three weeks of unnecessary headaches for us. He deserves this. The board told me he and Jo will be called in tomorrow. I gave them all of the details and they asked me to wait while the double checked the reservation with the hotel and surveillance. Once both parties also agreed they were there, and never left the room, it all went downhill for Luke and Jo from there. I was released with their sincerest apologizes to both myself and Sam. Our partnership will remain in place and they won't question us again." Andy shrugged taking another drink. As far as she was concerned it was over. Luke had dug his own grave. She did not feel bad for what happened to him, or Jo. All she cared about was Sam.

After another round of drinks and some catching up, Jerry and Traci filling her in on how their move and transition into married life was going, Sam stood up and asked Andy to come with him for a moment. He took her outback and no sooner had the door closed, did Andy feel his arms go around her waist and her back get pushed up against the wall. Sam was on her before she had time to react. She sighed happily into his kiss and for the next ten minutes she enjoyed touching and tasting him. When they finally stopped to catch their breath, Sam leaned his forehead on hers. "Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer" he told her.

"No need to apologize, I will not complain when you do that," Andy smiled, leaning in for a kiss.

"I came here right after shift, didn't even bother showering. I really need to wash the smell of smoke and dirt off me," Sam told her. "Your place or mine?" he asked.

"Mine, if you don't mind. I haven't been there in three weeks. I probably should sleep there once in a while," she joked.

"Sounds good. Do you want to leave now? If not, do you care if I run home to shower and change? I can meet you at yours in a little while? We have some catching up to do of our own, but I know you want to see your friends," Sam added.

"I was hoping to finish my beer, actually." Andy admitted. After the day she had, it was well warranted. "I can catch a ride with one of the other rookies and meet you in let's say an hour or so?" she asked. Sam nodded, pulling her to him for one more heated kiss. "See you in an hour, McNally." He told her before setting off for his truck.

Back inside Andy was laughing with her friends. Jerry had gone back over to the bar, and Dov and Oliver had disappeared. Andy was just saying "first day of the rest of my life" when Oliver reappeared in front of them saying something about having someone special for them to meet. Andy was confused, wondering what happened with him and Zoe when Dov appeared, holding a life-size cut out of Chris. Diaz has just finished telling them about his photo shoot and the gang roared with laughter. Even Gail, who had returned to ice queen status after coming home and confronting her parents about her ill-fated marriage to Dov. "Wait, Chris, I think we can make this work," she joked before excusing herself. She had been exceptionally quiet all night. Traci briefly mentioned Gail having an odd reaction to the new rookie, who Andy thought she saw walk into the bar a minute before. Shrugging it off, she continued to tease Chris a few more minutes until Jerry came back to the table to see if Traci was ready. Since they were giving Andy a ride, she also said her goodbyes and left with the Barbers.

Traci and Jerry dropped Andy off at her condo. She didn't see Sam's truck and he hadn't texted or called so she figured there was time to hop in the shower before Sam arrived. She and Traci had planned a girl's night the following night. They had a lot to catch up on and they really wanted to find out what was going on with Gail and her parents. Both Traci and Jerry told Andy that Gail had been very quiet and icy in the last week or so and things seemed tense between she and Chris. They were still together, but it was obvious Gail's talk with her parents had not gone so well. Add to it her reaction to the new rookie, and the girls definitely had a few questions. Jerry had seen the new guy around the station, but didn't know anything outside of the few things Oliver had told he and Sam at the bar. His name was Nick, he was around the same age as the rookies, and he had previously been in the Army. After a few tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he had decided to get out and return to Toronto where he went into the academy. Oliver thought he seemed okay, but very stiff and by the book. Gail's reaction made the girls think she might have known him, but they had no idea how. Andy spent her shower trying to think if Gail had ever mentioned having a friend in the military but could not think of anything. By the time she finished and dressed in pajama pants and a cami, she decided to forget about it and wait to talk to Gail. She turned her attention to the pile of bills and mail and thoughts of Sam. Today had been a long, crazy end to what was an even longer three weeks and she was happy it was over and couldn't wait to get past it and really move on.

She had just finished sorting her junk mail and her bills and fun mail when she heard a knock at the door. As she opened it she jumped back to make way for the paddle that was coming through. She opened the door wider to find her boyfriend, along with all of her luggage from that morning. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"I wasn't sure if you were going to need any of this, so I figured I would bring it with me," Sam told her, making his way slowly into her living room before finally dropping the load. I still don't know what you need all of this flannel and camp stuff for. Planning on a trip I don't know about?" he asked, only half joking. While he understood why she went, he had to admit it hadn't made things any easier. He did know if she had stayed they probably would have broken the rules, and he knew her well enough to know doing that would have made it harder for her to stand in front of the Tribunal board and tell them what Luke had done. He was proud of her for standing up for not only what she felt about their relationship, but to Luke. She had done it in the best way possible.

"Tell me again what you have planned for this paddle?" Sam asked, as he sat down on the sofa and put the paddle next to him. When it came off the baggage claim he looked at her as if she lost her mind. On the way over here, he couldn't help but think of some more interesting things they could do with the paddle. He was wondering if had the same thoughts in mind when she bought it.

"I just thought it would make an excellent decoration either in my living room, or hanging over my bed. Why, what were you thinking I wanted it for?" she eyed him up. If there was one thing she had learned since the change in their relationship status, it was that Sam was not conservative when it came to sex.

"Yeah, decoration, I was thinking the same thing. Do you want me to help you hang it?" Sam tried to sound casual, but he had a feeling she wasn't falling for it.

"You thought I had other things in mind when I bought this? Do you see how long it is?! Although, I do suppose you could get a nice spank in with that oar…" Andy trailed off.

"If that's something you wanted to try, I would not argue with you," Sam told her, trying to look innocent. His dimples betrayed him. Andy laughed and shook her head.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind and let you know. For now, why don't we talk?" She asked, settling in so they were now sitting shoulder to shoulder.

Sam nodded. He knew they had to get some things out, but he was glad they were able to joke and get back to their banter. He knew that while things might not always be easy for them, they would always be Sam and Andy. He liked that sense of comfortability. If he was honest, it's what kept him sane and from not hopping a flight to North Bay these last few weeks.

"So… where do we start?" he asked her. He knew her enough to know she was waiting to get some things off her chest.

Andy took a deep breath. She had a lot of time to think about this moment over the last few weeks. She never thought this moment would be after the day they had, or after the things she revealed at her hearing, but here they were.

"Sam, I love you. I just, I have to make sure you never forget that," she began. Sam started to open his mouth, but she stopped him. "No, before you say anything, I need to get this all out. I love you. I knew I loved you before we were together, I told you I loved you when we were on vacation, and being away from you these last three weeks has only solidified that love for me. There is no one else I want to be with, and nowhere else I would rather be than wherever you are. I almost came home so many times before I got the call from HQ. I was starting to drive my dad crazy. He made a comment the night before the phone call that maybe you should just sneak up here and join us. He would never tell, and Sarah could always say you were with her in St. Catherine's. I wasn't surprised, my dad never did like coloring inside the lines either," Sam laughed as she paused.

"There was a part of me that really wanted to see that "break" through though. When we got back from vacation we were on such a high I think we tried to keep chasing it even though reality was back to smack us in the face. Being apart made me realize that I didn't like being apart from you, but it also made me realize that we did need time away from each other. Just not like that. Or for that long. A night is one thing, this was another entirely. I also realized something else, something that I have to admit scares me, but it's something I want you to know, I need you to know," she told him, looking deep into his eyes.

Sam took her hand in his and gently rubbed her knuckles, "go on" he told her, his voice so low she could barely hear him. "When I stood in front of that board today, I knew I planned on telling them that all I ever wanted was to keep being a cop, that being a cop and wearing the badge meant more to me than anything. That this was a job I really loved and I wouldn't let anything in the way of that. But, when I looked at those people, those white shirts all sitting there waiting to judge me, I realized something else. I realized that while I did love the job, and the badge and it's all I'm ever going to want to do, I would also give it all up if I had to choose between you and the job. I realized if after my speech they told me I couldn't have both, my choice would have been a no brainer."

Before Andy could say anything else, Sam had wrapped her in his arms and kissed her with such passion Andy thought she might cry. She could feel the tears forming behind her eyes when Sam pulled back to rest his forehead on hers. "I love you, Andy. I realized the same thing when I stood in front of the board, and I had no problems telling them the same thing. I love the badge, but if that had made me choose, they would have seen me walk away with my badge on their table. All I've ever wanted to do was be a cop, but since I met you, all I've ever wanted was something more than that… with you. Being apart from you was rougher than I imagined, and I have to admit, I wasn't happy with your decision to leave, even though I knew you would never be okay with sneaking around. Your lion's heart holds a lot of guilt and I'm glad for it because I also don't think you would have been able to tell the committee about Luke's indiscretions if you knew we had broken the rules. I still can't believe you told them, by the way," he leaned in and for a few more minutes they sat in silence, sharing little kisses and caresses until Andy finally pulled back.

"That just came out. I felt like they were making a judgment no matter what I said and when I realized it might not go in our favor, and that the whole reason we went through this was because of Luke and his ego, that was it. I wasn't going to let him ruin my life anymore. He had already done enough to do that. I don't feel bad either. He and Jo went far beyond coloring outside the lines when they slept together that night. He's going to have to answer for that himself. I don't think we will be seeing him for a while. I know he's going to be suspended pending an investigation. I also know he's brought in enough of Toronto's finest criminals that he may only get a slap on the wrist. I'm fine with whatever they decide, they just needed to know.

Sam was proud of her. He knew that Andy had let out the details of Luke's relationship in the heat of the moment, but he also knew she was right in telling the committee what really brought all of this upon them. He leaned back towards her, running his hands through her wet hair, "I think we've talked enough for tonight, I don't know about you, but I think we've got some time to make up for." He told her before he caught her lips again with his own. Andy squealed when a few minutes later, his lips still fused to hers, Sam got off the couch, reached down and picked her up bridal style, carrying her towards her bedroom. They definitely had some catching up to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took longer than expected. I started writing and about 2500 words in, I decided I really did not want to skip the Brennan op. I know, I know. So, after spending some time working out the logistics of how exactly I was going to make this work, here we are. Thanks for being patient. On top of my writing issues, I also finished up the last week of teaching summer school, my summer Master's course is ending, we celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary and our daughter's 3rd birthday last Friday (she was born on our 2nd wedding anniversary), we leave for the beach next week, and the joint party for my daughter and soon to be 1 year old son (time needs to slow the hell down), is this coming Sunday. We also celebrated two other birthday parties this weekend so yeah, it's been a bit much. Whomever thinks teachers spend summer doing nothing but relaxing does not know one!

I also want to explain some changes. I realized after the fact that I put up Class Dismissed before sending Sam and Andy to Niagara like they planned for the long Easter weekend. Class Dismissed takes place in late May/early June so I realized I would need to backtrack. Considering the many, many conversations #TeamAndyonSam had about the show timeline, I would be remiss not to fix this. So when I post, this will be chapter 3 and Class Dismissed will move to Chapter 4. Sorry about the confusion. It might end up being Chapter 5 depending on whether I need to cut this.

I hope you like where I decided to go with this one. Like I said, the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to retell the Brennan op. I believe the ops they go on are important to their overall character development and help them ultimately become the McSwarek they are at the end of the series. Obviously, I changed a bunch of things in my prequel to this, but I think this will fit in quite nicely. Also, after spending a lot of time thinking about it, this will be written as a flashback. Sorry, it's just easier for me to write it that way in terms of story continuity than anything else.

Special thanks to Angelflower28 who let me bounce this idea off her late last night. Considering I bounced the Peckstein wedding off her I'm pretty sure this seemed tame in comparison. Thanks for letting me ramble and telling me I could do this!

Chapter 3

The One With Brennan and Niagara

Andy sighed. How can packing for a long weekend be this difficult? She was able to pack for an entire week in Punta Cana yet here she was, suitcase on her bed, clothes spread all over the place trying to decide what she would need for her Niagara weekend with Sam. Andy realized the difference between this weekend and Punta Cana was the weather. In the Dominican, the weather is pretty much the same year round. Andy knew she needed to dress for a tropical climate. Niagara, on the other hand, boasted the fun of being situated smack between two of the coldest parts of the U.S. and Canada during winter and obviously being on the water, which meant the weather could be drastically different than Toronto, even though they were only three hours away.

Andy flipped on her television and scrolled to the weather channel yet again. All week she had been obsessively checking the weather, so much so that at one point on patrol Sam suggested she pack four separate suitcases, one for each season. His remark had earned him a glare from Andy, although now she had to admit the idea was not all that terrible. She would be prepared, at least. As she watched the forecast, Andy sighed. As she predicted, the weather seemed to want to run the full gamut from comfortable spring weather to windy and low temps, a reminder that even though they were headed into Easter weekend and decidedly in Spring, Winter was not ready to let go of its' hold on the area. As Andy contemplated her wardrobe choices some more, her mind began to wonder back to a few weeks ago, when Winter still reigned supreme. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't care what she brought, just that she and Sam had this time together after what had arguably been the toughest month of her professional career and personal life. Andy absentmindedly rubbed her wrists, where the rope burn was finally faded enough that it couldn't be seen unless you were staring at it, her thoughts drifting back to the day she saw Donovan Boyd at 15.

 _Andy and Sam had spent the night before apart; Sam had Poker Night with the guys which meant Girls Night at Andy's for the ladies. By the time she and Traci polished off the last of the wine, Andy knew it was far too late to even attempt to call a cab to Sam's so she elected to crash at her place, while Traci took her couch. The women were actually up at a decent hour despite the alcohol, and were able to shower and get to the division without needing to really rush. Andy had been walking towards the women's locker room, texting Sam, when she heard a familiar voice coming from the men's locker room._

" _Forget it man, he's not in the life anymore." Andy heard Sam's voice, clear and firm. As if he was preparing for an argument._

" _Intel says otherwise, Sammy. Come on, I know you got burned by that Rookie on the last op, but this time it will be different. I need you, man. You know you miss it. You live for undercover."_

 _Boyd. The second Andy heard the unmistakable voice if Detective Donovan Boyd, her blood ran cold. Knowing if she continued to listen she would most certainly be late for parade, Andy begrudgingly decided to get changed. She trusted Sam to tell her what was going on. If he didn't, well, she had the next 10 hours to get it out of him. She was hoping he would share. She knew he knew how worried she was about him going undercover. After their time in Punta Cana and hearing their friends talk about it, Andy figured it was only a matter of time before Sam would get the call and not be able to get himself out of it. Deep down, Andy really did understand. This was the life they chose, a life of uncertainties and sacrifices. It wasn't always the easiest life, but it was theirs and she at least hoped Sam was right and there was no reason for an op at all._

 _Still, Boyd did say one thing that made Andy's heartstrings pull. Even though Sam had convinced her during vacation that undercover was something he no longer desired, she couldn't help but wonder if he really had thoroughly scratched that itch. She remembered the gleam in his eye when they were getting ready to be Gabe and Edie and she knew that Sam really did live for the thrill. Even though he spent all that time convincing her that he lived for it because he didn't have anything at home to live for until her, she resolutely decided she would not be the one to hold him back if he had even the smallest itch to go._

 _Had Andy stayed in her spot a moment longer, she needn't have worried, at least not right away._

" _LIVED for UC, Boyd. LIVED. As in past tense, as in, I no longer have any desire to run off and pretend to be someone else for God only knows how long." Sam turned around, continuing to get into his uniform. He did not want to be late for Parade. He knew Frank knew where he was, but Andy didn't and he knew there would be many questions, and probably a lot of jokes thrown his way if she managed to get to Parade before him the day after Poker night. Sam had long since teased her at her inability to get to work on time without him, even going so far as to boast that he could be hungover from Poker Night and STILL be sitting in Parade before she ran through the door He almost laughed at the conversation, but schooled his looks and turned to face Boyd, who was continuing on as if he could somehow convince Sam._

" _I told you, not interested. Even if there really is something going on, I'm done. Find someone else." Sam closed his locker and made to walk out of the room when Boyd made his next remark._

" _Is this about your ROOKIE, Sammy?"_

 _Sam stopped dead. He did not want to give Boyd a reason to take anymore jabs at Andy, yet he could barely keep it together. Boyd, luckily, or unluckily depending on how you look at it, didn't seem to notice._

" _Because listen, I get that she's probably a good time, I mean she seemed to keep Callaghan wanting more until Jo showed back up, but you really want to throw away what could be a keynote case for a bambi in a uniform?"_

 _Boyd didn't know what hit him. One second he was trying to convince Sam to go back under, and the next thing he knew he was being pushed against the lockers by one very pissed off Sam._

" _Say it again, Boyd, and I swear there won't be an op because I will have an assault charge on my record." Sam stared the man down._

 _Boyd swallowed. He would need to choose his words carefully._

" _Sorry, Sammy, sorry! Just joking. But seriously, is it her? Because can I just say…"_

" _You can say nothing, and what you can do is turn around, show yourself out and have yourself a nice day, Boyd." Sam finished the conversation, exited the room and headed for Parade. Thankfully, Frank had just started when Sam slid into position at the back next to Oliver. Andy, who sometimes sat with her fellow Rookies, was also in the back, sitting on the top of a bookshelf, legs dangling aimlessly in front of her._

" _This isn't over, Sammy!" he heard Boyd call as he settled in between Oliver and Andy. Oliver cast a quizzical glance in Sam's direction, and Sam gave him an almost imperceptible shake of the head. Oliver nodded, knowing Sam didn't want to get into it when Parade was beginning._

 _After Frank's daily announcements and pairings and his usual "Serve, Protect,…" line, he motioned for Sam to wait for him. Andy hung back, not quite sure if she should wait as well or grab their coffees while Frank talked to Sam. She had made the decision to give them some privacy when she felt a familiar hand grab her own._

" _I'm guessing you want to know why Boyd was here?" Sam asked Frank nodded._

" _Whatever I tell you I'm going to tell her anyway, so might as well stay for this, McNally," Sam said, sighing._

 _Frank was the first to answer, "let me guess, Boyd has an op he absolutely needs you to do?"_

" _You got it," Sam confirmed. "Only, I think the op is a waste of time. He thinks he has enough to take down Brennan. I told him, guy hasn't been in the game for some time. Wife, kid, house by the beaches. Whole nine yards. He's running legit businesses now. I know his reputation isn't the best, but I don't know what Boyd was able to get that would make him want to go in NOW. Man hasn't had as much as parking ticket in over five years."_

 _Andy's eyes had gone wide and she was desperately trying to control the anxiety she felt building. Sam squeezed her hand gently, she guessed he could sense her fear rising as he spoke._

 _Frank rubbed his temples, "I'm guessing Boyd was not a fan of your answer?"  
_

" _Definitely not. Walked out telling me it wasn't over. If I had to guess…" Sam trailed off, glancing at Andy._

" _He's probably heading to HQ as we speak," Frank finished for him. Andy sighed. She knew this day would eventually come. Noelle had told her as much on vacation. She had hoped it wouldn't be for a long while and when it did, it would be for something more stable than this. She knew enough about UCs to know that when intel was spotty, and this intel certainly sounded like it was, that the op could drag on indefinitely while the undercover officer worked to first establish trust with the mark, but to dig up whatever the detective thought could bring the operation down._

" _Anything you think you can do?" Sam asked, knowing the answer but figured it was worth a shot._

" _If Boyd gets Peck to agree, you know there is nothing I can say, although I can try to buy some time. We are heading into that crazy time when the season changes and you know what it's like around here. If they want this to happen I might be able to buy you a few weeks before you have to go, but that's about it."_

" _Can I get in on this, too?" Andy's voice reminded the men that she was still there. She had been uncharacteristically silent through their entire exchange that both pretty much forgot she was part of the conversation, even though Sam's hand never left hers._

" _What?" Andy, no. If I have to go it's one thing, but you? I'm not going to drag you into what is probably nothing but a waste of my time." Sam shook his head. It would be one thing if the op was solid, and another if the mark was not Terry Brennan. Before he met his wife and turned his life around, he was widely known as an enforcer and while they never had the evidence to pin anything on him, Sam knew there were bodies attached to his name strung all over the providence. Brennan was known for torturing his victims before delivering the final blow. Sometimes the torture took place over long periods of time. It was his signature. He loved using hand tools, and waterboarding was his specialty. Sam held back a shudder at the thought of what could happen if Andy was made. He didn't want to think about it._

" _But if he's now a family man like you say, a couple would probably appeal to him." Andy reasoned. She did not really want to do this op, but she also did not want to give up Sam for an undetermined amount of time._

" _Andy, this guy, he's bad news, okay? He's been on the radar for a long time, I'm surprised you didn't learn about him in the Academy. He's… well, you do not want to be made by him. I know you can handle yourself, but this would be one of the most dangerous missions even I've done, including Hill's. I trust you, but I do not trust him and if he even thinks for a minute second that you are a cop, it's over. I love you, I love you so much and I could not live with myself if I couldn't protect you on this. I need to be in the game at all times if I have to do this one, and McNally, you are quite the distraction." Sam tried to lighten things a bit with that last line, hoping it would help soften the blow._

 _Andy sighed. She wanted to argue, but one look at Frank's face told her he agreed with Sam. She knew it was a lost cause. "Fine." She huffed. "You two finish up, I will grab our coffee and meet you at the squad."_

 _That day drug on seemingly forever. Andy's mood and anxiety coupled with Sam's own made for a tense day of driving. When they got back to the barn, things only got worse. Boyd was in Frank's office and Frank motioned for Sam to join them. Leaning in to whisper in Andy's ear, Sam told her to get in the shower and changed and he would meet her when he was through. Andy nodded and went about showering and changing almost on autopilot. When she finished, Sam was waiting for her. They drove to Sam's house in silence. Once settled in with take-out and a few beers, Sam finally said the words Andy had been dreading since that morning._

 _Sam explained Boyd indeed went to Peck, who sanctioned the op. Sam was supposed to have three weeks, Frank's wishes, but two days later, after a particularly exhausting day of looking for a missing boy and Andy staying with a woman named Leslie who had been in a car crash, and subsequently died, she learned Boyd wanted to meet with Sam to discuss logistics. Sam told her to take the truck and meet him back at his place. Andy waited for hours, finally falling asleep. She woke up the next morning disoriented and alone. Sitting up on the couch and stretching, she noticed a note and keys on the coffee table. Picking up the note, her eyes filled with tears._

 _Andy,_

 _I didn't want to wake you, I know you had a long day and I figured my news wouldn't help. I'm going under tonight. I tried to argue, but Boyd said we had to move. I'm sorry. I really wanted those three weeks with you. The keys are for you. Use my truck while I'm gone, please. I hate it when you have to walk, especially in the cold. So just do me a favor, this one time, and don't be stubborn. My house key is on there too. Ollie and Sarah usually watch the house, but I figured since you already like sleeping in my bed anyway… seriously, I trust you will take care of things. Sleep here if you want. The department will have my bills forwarded to HQ until my return, so don't worry about any of that. I will be back as soon as I possibly can. Until then, please, PLEASE don't do anything crazy in the field. That lion's heart is good for a lot of things, but sometimes does not help my stress level. I hate this more than you know. I told Peck this is it. I'm done after this one. I just wanted you to know that._

 _I love you,_

 _Sam_

 _Andy cried and cried and barely shot off a text to Frank that she would not be in that day before she climbed the stairs and spent the rest of the day sobbing and sleeping in Sam's bed. That was about a month ago. She had not heard from Sam since, and Boyd was less than forthcoming._

 _She was at the station one night when she saw him talking to Frank. She had hoped he was there to deliver news, but he needed a few of them for the traditional rookie UC Scavenger Hunt. She, Traci, and Dov were dropped off near the airport, where Boyd stripped them of their wallets and phones, gave them each a bus token and explained they had until sunrise to get back to the station with as much money and drugs as they could get. Andy and Traci were incredulous, asking Boyd how exactly they were supposed to do this. Boyd smiled as he got back in his car, told them to figure it out and was gone. A few minutes later, Dov decided he was using the bus token to head downtown and said his own good-bye. Andy and Traci were able to flag down a car and the woman was nice enough to give them a twenty to use to get a ride. Andy remembered the Alpine Inn was close and she and Traci made their way to the bar, hoping to come up with something._

 _Little did Andy know that decision would lead her right to Sam, or J.D. as he was called. Turns out Brennan was something of a regular at the Alpine and decided to take a turn against Candace and Doreen on the pool table. Traci was something of a pool shark, had been since their academy days where she frequently paid for their nights out, and even some of the academy costs, with her pool winnings. Andy was a terrible pool player, which only got worse once she spotted J.D.. After a horrific game where she was sure she would blow Sam's cover, Brennan suggested he take on Doreen in a rematch alone. Andy and Sam sat at a nearby table. After subtly letting Sam know why she was there, Sam glanced over at Brennan before he spoke._

" _Not sure why I got into this in the first place," he told her, taking a swig of beer._

" _Seems like you didn't have a choice," Andy countered. Sam nodded._

 _He glanced behind him, Brennan and Traci were knee deep in the game, neither paying attention. The bar was crowded with people from a conference, and noisy. Sam tilted his head down and looked Andy dead in the eye._

" _Miss you. Sorry I had to leave how I did. I need out of this. There's nothing here. Nothing. Let Boyd know. He isn't answering my calls." Sam told her._

 _Glancing to make sure they wouldn't be interrupted, and schooling her face to make it look like they were in regular conversation, Andy replied, "What? He's not… I will kill him myself." She huffed. "Miss you too. It was hard those first nights, not going to lie. Truck and house are okay. Promise."_

" _And you? Are you okay?" Sam eyed her. She looked thinner than she normally was. She also looked tired._

" _Fine." Andy answered, until Sam gave her a pointed look. "Okay, I've been better. I'm sleeping and eating more though, I promise. Traci and Oliver noticed and have been forcing food on me. I'll be okay when you… things are back to normal."_

 _Sam nodded, knowing there wasn't more he could say just now. "You need to find a place to lay your head down for the night. NOT HERE." He told her as he noticed Brennan and Traci finishing their game, Traci counting up the her winnings._

" _Candace, we need to go, NOW." Traci said forcefully. Andy nodded, got up from the table and bid both men a good night._

 _Outside Traci scolded Andy on the Alpine Inn before telling her Brennan had given her intel on a guy upstairs. After scoring some drugs, and finding a girl passed out, Traci and Andy convinced the guy to let them take the girl. Traci called an ambulance and hopped in with the girl while Andy stood outside. Traci warned Andy to go home, but she didn't listen._

To say Andy had not really dealt with the Brennan incident was an understatement. Once everything was over, she was determined to get back to full and active duty as soon as humanly possible. She insisted to Sam, Tommy, Frank, Traci, and anyone else who would listen that she was fine, she felt great and she was ready to hit the streets and get back to her life.

Truthfully, Andy was far from fine. She didn't want to deal with what happened, so she buried it as deep as she could. She was a cop, after all, and she was supposed to be able to focus and stay in the game. Their job was dangerous and some missions were more dangerous than others. This was one of those times.

Thinking back over the last few months, however, was enough for the few strings holding Andy together to finally snap. She couldn't take it any longer and found herself crumpled in a ball on the floor of her bedroom, sobs wrecked her body as her packing was forgotten and her mind forced her to remember the moments she so desperately willed it to forget.

 _Andy had gone back in the Alpine the second Traci pulled away. She didn't really know what she was doing, but she knew Sam had made her feel uneasy when he told her he couldn't get in touch with Boyd. She needed more, and truthfully, she needed him. The weeks had seemed to last years, she couldn't bear the thought of her only contact with him until he came home being their whispered conversation as Candace and J.D._

 _So she walked back into the bar, a look of hope and determination on her face. She walked up to Sam, now sitting at the bar with Brennan and gave some story about getting on a plane in twelve hours and not wanting to have any regrets. Sam looked like he was trying to decide if this was a joke or not; she had never seen his eyes as big as they were. He told her he was there with his boss, and gave her a look that on patrol would have guaranteed Andy paperwork for a week. Andy just nodded and left. No sooner had she stepped outside, taken a breath and looked around trying to decide the best way to the closest bus stop did a hand land on her shoulder._

 _Startled, Andy turned around, finding herself staring into the gorgeous brown eyes she had seen in her dreams these last weeks. Sam simply smiled at her, one that didn't reach all the way to his eyes, but showed a hint of dimple and said, "let's go."_

 _Neither said a word until they were back at his cover apartment, which Andy learned was only a few blocks away. Once she had established that the cameras were off, and made it crystal clear to Sam that she was not leaving, she walked across the sparsely furnished studio and sat on a table. Sam made his way over to her and stood so his legs were between hers. God he missed her. He didn't realize how much he missed her until that moment, when they were Sam and Andy and not pretending to be other people. Remembering their first night together in Punta Cana, he searched her eyes as he told her,_

" _If you don't leave now, there's no going back." He wasn't kidding. This wasn't like vacation, where he said it to make sure she knew they would never be able to go back to being just friends, this was serious. Granted, something was going on with Boyd. Sam knew that much when he stopped answering his calls. His suspicions were further hyped up when he learned Boyd dropped them off for the hunt so close to the Alpine Inn, a place he knew Brennan liked to hang out. Still, what they were about to do could cost them both the badge. Sam was sure he would be spared, being the senior officer and the best UC in the department did give him some leeway, but he knew the same would not be said for what the department still considered a rookie. Legacy or not, Sam knew if things went south, Boyd especially would be on everyone to take Andy's badge. After what happened during their meeting about Callaghan, Sam did not want to give HQ any reason to pull Andy from the streets._

 _He also knew he could not argue with her, and his self-control was slipping by the second. His mind was telling him to force her into a cab, loaded with information to give to Boyd and send her back to 15. His heart and other places were telling him to rip her clothes off and show her how much he loved and missed her._

 _She made the decision for him. "I don't want to go back."_

 _Andy knew Sam was waging an internal war. She also knew that by staying, she was putting both their jobs on the line and Sam would not want her to lose her job because of him. She didn't care though. Weeks of nothing but dreaming of his arms around her had led to this moment, and she felt like the universe gave her an opportunity she could not waste. She would think of something later to at least get Boyd off her back if she needed to. She knew she had to pass along a message anyway, she could work with that._

 _Sam stared at her for a few seconds more before ever so slowly, slow enough that it felt like he was deliberately trying to torture her, Sam brought his face closer to hers. He nudged his nose against her own, something he did in Punta Cana and repeated late at night when the two of them would lay amongst tangled limbs and sheets. He finally crashed his lips to hers slow and sensual, like the night they made love after their first official date. Andy had just begun running her hands up his chest when Sam reached down and took his shirt off. Flinging it aside, he quickly unbuttoned Andy's button down, picked her up and carried her to the bed. As clothes came off they paused to take the other in before meeting in what was definitely one of the hottest kisses they shared. It was like drinking water after spending the day walking through a desert. They simply could not get enough._

 _Desperate to make the night last, Sam worked his way down Andy's body. Placing white hot kisses along her neck and collarbone. Andy tilted her head back to give him more access and he massaged her breasts with one hand as he fisted her hair with the other. He continued his journey down her body, pausing to pay homage to the chest he missed so much. Her breasts really were perfect, he thought before continuing his descent. He barely had her jeans and panties off and was just getting ready to settle in between her hips when Andy tugged on his arm, bringing him face to face with her._

" _No Sam, I can't wait, it's been too long. I need you. In me. NOW." She told him, wiggling herself into position beneath him. Sam chuckled. As much as he wanted to taste her, worship every single inch of her body while he recommitted it to memory, he understood and obliged her request, sliding into her already wet center. It was like coming home._

" _Jesus, Andy… good, so good. Yes, baby, that's it." Sam encouraged, as her hips trust upward to meet his. They began a rhythm that was meant to be slow and steady, but quickly became frantic and fast, both unable to hold onto anymore self-control or preservation._

" _Sam, yes, that's it, right there. Harder, babe, harder. I NEED you…" Andy got out between breaths. As Sam quickened his pace and burrowed as deep into her as he could get, he reached between them to rub her clit between his thumb and forefinger. The result had Andy seeing stars in a matter of seconds._

" _OHMYGOD SAM, I CAN'T I CAN'T." She moaned into his mouth._

" _Yes you can, baby. Come on. Come for me." Sam egged her on. A few more thrusts as he began rubbing her clit in circles with his finger made the last ounce of control Andy had snap. She screamed his name as her orgasm rushed over her. Another minute of frenzied thrusting from both and Sam was right there with her. Rolling off to catch his breath, Sam looked over at his girlfriend._

" _Miss me, McNally?" he couldn't help but tease, dimples out in full._

" _Something like that," Andy told him, rolling so she was on her side, her head on his shoulder. Truthfully, he had no idea how much she wished for this moment, regardless of how temporary._

 _They laid like that for a while, basking in the afterglow and enjoying the familiar feeling of being wrapped up together. The place was different, but Sam knew for the rest of his life it would never matter where they were, as long as they could be together, this feeling, her in his arms, their legs tangled and their bodies flush with one another, would be home for him. Home was Andy, simply put._

 _Andy rolled onto her stomach, her arm still splayed across Sam's chest, as she played with the little curls there. He stroked her back as she broke the silence in the room._

" _Do you think the universe has a plan, for us?" she asked. She wondered if he remembered their conversation that night in Punta Cana._

 _Sam couldn't help but smile. "Oh yeah, it was undoubtedly fate that brought you into that bar tonight."_

" _Okay, I might remember you saying something about it, but I didn't know you were going to be there."_

 _Sam gave her a look._

" _I didn't!"_

" _I never thought I'd see anybody I knew at the Alpine Inn. Least of all, YOU."_

 _Andy shook her head. "My one chance to be whoever I wanted to be and I choose Candace, who works in insurance."_

" _Don't tell anyone this, but I was Ernie, the Zamboni driver."_

 _Andy giggled. She leaned in for a kiss. She knew they had a few things to discuss before she made her way back to the station. The pre-dawn lightening of the sky told her she was running out of time._

" _I gotta go."_

" _We're being incredibly stupid." Sam agreed._

" _I blame Boyd, you know. I swear he did this on purpose." Andy told Sam, neither of them remotely budging from their position. "I can never come back here," she added with as an afterthought._

" _Andy, I gotta go," Sam said again, only this time, he had something else in mind as she leaned in to kiss him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her firmly in place. Andy smiled into the kiss, positioned herself on top of Sam, and in one motion picked her hips up and brought herself down onto his waiting member. She stayed completely still for a moment, reveling in the sensation of him filling her completely. For as long as she lived she would swear no one had ever filled her the way Sam did. It was a feeling she was sure she would never tire of._

 _When she could feel him wiggle beneath her, she started a slow and steady pace of her own, rolling her hips as she moved up and down against him, sometimes pulling him all the way out before plunging herself back down on him again. The effect was more than Sam could handle and it did not take long for them to make the other come again._

 _This time, Andy knew she had to get up, as she begrudgingly gathered her clothes to get dressed, she looked over at Sam. "What do you want me to say when I get back? How are we going to play this?" she asked._

 _Sam thought about it. "Tell Frank and Boyd as much of the truth as you can, Traci will be able to corroborate your story for most of the night. Make sure Frank is there when you tell Boyd I have been trying to contact him. Boyd will pretend you never said it otherwise. Frank won't let that go though, I know him."_

" _Umm, I don't plan on letting that go, either." Andy assured him as she buttoned her jeans and reached for her boots. Sam stepped in front of her though, and before she could do anything else, he reached for her hands and pulled her up so she was standing in front of him. He pulled her close. "I love you. These last few weeks have been torture without you. I hate how I left. I hate that I can't contact you. I hate all of it. There's nothing here. Terry Brennan has not done anything for a long time. I need out. I'm done this time, I mean it Andy. I am going to make it known that if they ever want me again it needs to be something I absolutely cannot get out of and I will not go under without you. Before you I meant it when I said I had nothing holding me back. Now? All I can think about is how I would rather be on overnights doing traffic with you if it meant we could be together."_

 _Andy's eyes filled with tears. She had been desperately trying to keep herself together since they arrived back at the apartment. Sex had been an amazing distraction, but now she had nothing. "I love you too, Sam. I miss you more than you know." The tears spilled over._

 _Sam wiped them away with his fingers as they kept coming. "Shh baby, it's going to be okay." He tried to reassure her._

" _How can you even say that? You said Boyd isn't answering you. I know he's doing it on purpose. He doesn't want to hear that there is nothing hear and you want out. I could seriously kill him for this. He goes over your head to do this and now he leaves you high and dry in this life while he sends us out on scavenger hunts like it's no big deal."_

 _Andy backed from Sam and went back to putting on her boots, shoving her feet inside, she angrily yanked on the zipper to get them up. Boyd had ruined the last few weeks for her. Finding out it was for nothing was a serious blow and made Andy want nothing more than to fry the detective for doing this._

" _So here's what I'm thinking," Sam knew enough to let her be when she got this angry, but they needed to get their story straight._

" _You tell them everything up to the ambulance with Traci. Tell them I came outside just as the ambulance pulled away and asked you to come back here so I could call you a cab. While here, I let you know I can't get in touch with Boyd. Act like I think maybe there's an issue with my phone or something. Tell them what I told you about Brennan, but make sure Boyd is not there or he will most certainly try to pin you for compromising the op. Be sure Frank knows though. Jerry too. He can get access to Brennan's files easier than Frank can, at least without making people suspicious. I want to know why Boyd was hell bent on this case. Why now? We still have nothing and my time here tells me we are not going to get anything, either. It's over."_

" _What about your number? Do you want me to try to call it, you know, make it look like I tried to test the phone or something?"_

" _Too dangerous. The less you know about the actual op the better. I already told you more than I should just with having you pass along the message. Boyd is right about one thing, and Brennan is a dangerous guy, or at least he used to be. I don't know what he would do if he felt something was off, and I would rather not find out."_

As Andy got closer to the part where it all went to hell, she felt like she was going to be sick. She managed to pull herself up and get to her bathroom. She didn't get sick, but she did dry heave as she tried to calm herself down. It worked for a few seconds before she became a hysterical mess again, only this time she substituted the bedroom for the cool tile of the bathroom floor.

 _Andy barely made it back to the station and into her uniform in time. She literally slid into the room where Frank, Boyd, Traci, Dov, Oliver, Noelle, Jerry, Chris, and Gail all sat. As they turned out their pockets and learned that Dov was the clear winner by using some very un-Dov like moves to get what he needed, Andy cast a glance at Traci. One look on her friends face told her she was not getting out of an explanation. As Boyd began to wrap up and her friends all went to either change for home or hit the coffee before morning Parade, Andy cleared her throat._

" _Umm, there is something Traci and I didn't mention." She told Frank and Boyd._

" _We went to the Alpine Inn and Sam was there with his mark. We ended up playing them in a round of pool. I am terrible and Brennan wanted to play a little one-on-one with Traci and Sam and I ended up at a table. He told me he's been trying to reach you, but you don't return his calls or texts." She told Boyd._

 _Frank eyed the detective, "what's going on Donovan?" Sammy says he called, he called. What are you playing?" Frank was not about to mince words. He knew Donovan Boyd ran his ops poorly. Unfortunately, Sam was usually his go-to-guy for the ops. Hill took forever because Boyd had originally sent Sam in with such little information, it took Sam months just to gather intel they could have had prior to the op. He had also heard Brennan was no longer in the life and when days stretched into weeks without so much as a peep about Sam, he began to wonder._

" _Sammy's been trying to call me? Huh?" Boyd took out a phone from his jacket, a different one than what he normally carried. "Are you sure, Bambi? Nothing on here. No messages or anything. I know you miss your boyfriend McNally, but…" Boyd didn't have time to finish the sentence. Andy stood up and slammed her hand down on the table._

" _No. Listen to me, Boyd. I know damn well what Sam told me. He said he's been trying to call and text you and you haven't responded. He told me there's nothing there. No case. Not even a parking ticket."_

 _Jerry and Oliver had been waiting at the door. Jerry decided to help Andy._

" _Frank, you know Sammy. He would not risk cover or break the rules like this unless he was absolutely sure there is nothing here. He never would have compromised Andy if it wasn't absolutely necessary." Jerry eyed Boyd, almost daring him to say something._

 _Frank spoke up first. "I agree. Sam would never, ever risk McNally's career or life unless he had no other choice. My guess is his unanswered calls and texts from you made him feel like he had no other choice. Do you even watch the cameras, Boyd? If Sammy says it's time to call it, it's time to call it."_

 _Boyd sighed. This was not how the morning was supposed to go. "I will head to my guys in IT and see what is going on with my phone. I swear I have not heard from him. In the meantime, McNally, Sammy might like to paint outside the lines, but you better not follow. STAY AWAY FROM THIS. I mean it. You got to see your boy, now walk away and wait like a good girl until he comes home."_

 _Traci and Oliver had to hold Andy back. "You're an ass Boyd. If I find out you deliberately did not take Sam's calls, I swear I'm going to Superintendent Peck myself." She told him, eyes blazing._

 _Boyd chuckled as he walked out, "I'm a senior officer, McNally, I run ops all the time, you think she will believe a rookie? Frank, I will let you know when my phone is working and I talk to Sam. Swear. See you later. Have a nice day, Bambi" he called._

 _Andy saw red. She knew Boyd was going to deny anything, but she hadn't expected him to take it to this level. She thought maybe he would make a show of resetting his phone and then Sam would miraculously appear in his inbox. She was not prepared for this._

 _Turning to Frank, trying to keep the tears from her eyes, Andy didn't even know where to start. "I'm sorry, Sir. It was a coincidence that we ran into Sam last night. Boyd dropped us by the airport and it was the closest place. Sam was very adamant that he had not been in touch with Boyd and that the op was useless." Andy put her head in her hands, trying to rub away the headache forming._

" _McNally, don't worry. Boyd will not get your badge and we will get Sam home. Did you get his number?" he eyed the young cop._

" _No. Sam said it was too dangerous and the less I knew the better. Said he didn't want trouble for me down at HQ," she clarified when she saw Ollie and Jerry raise their eyebrows._

" _Sammy is right. Boyd can and probably will try to spin this. Sam was giving you an out." Oliver reassured her. "Trust me, Sam knows Boyd, hell we all know him. Something is definitely up."_

" _He's right," Frank told her. "I don't run my division like Guns and Gangs does, but UC is UC and you never break cover, or even play with breaking cover unless you need to. I will put in a call to HQ myself and see if we can investigate some things and speed up this process. Jerry, you're taking lead on this." Frank finished. "Andy, go home and try to rest. You need it. Hopefully we will have news when you wake up. That is an order." He added, knowing she wouldn't budge unless he ordered._

 _Oliver followed Andy out of the room followed by Jerry. Jerry informed Andy that Traci brought her car to work and could give her a lift home. Andy was about to tell him she had the truck when Jerry cut her off._

" _Andy, listen. I know Boyd and he's hiding something. I am requesting all files related to this case. Hopefully I can find something that will prove this was nothing more than a wild goose chase from the start. Sammy is a smart guy and knows what he's doing. He will be okay until we get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile, he would kill me if I let you drive his truck looking this exhausted. Oliver can pick you up after his shift and take you back to get the truck. For now, go home. Please. Sam is probably worried about you."_

 _Andy nodded. She promised Oliver she would sleep and she met Traci in the parking lot. "You met up with Sam last night. Andy, you know it's against the rules." Traci told her._

" _One time thing, Trace, I swear. Plus, he had intel for me to pass along since Boyd apparently isn't."_

 _Traci eyed her. When she went to say good-bye to Jerry he quickly filled her in on what was happening._

" _So… how was it after being apart for about a month?" Traci knew Andy needed this and not a lecture._

" _Heavenly"_

Sorry, this ended up being the perfect place to cut it! I promise part 2 of the Brennan op will be up before I leave for vacay next week!


	4. Chapter 4 - The Brennan Op Continued

**A/N:** Sorry for all the confusion! I didn't mean to make some of you very confused, but I did want to get that chapter posted as soon as I wrote it! Here is the continuation of the Brennan op. I may combine this with the Niagara trip or that might be another chapter, I don't quite know yet. Anyway, I will wrap up the Brennan op in this chapter.

Sorry this didn't go up a few weeks ago. I have been mulling over this chapter because truthfully I don't think I did a very good job, but I don't really know where to go with it so here it is. I already started the Niagara chapter, which I am hoping to have finished and up by the end of the weekend!

 **Disclaimer:** Nope, not mine. We would be on Season 8 if it was!

Sam was an hour early to Andy's but after packing, cleaning the house, and cleaning the truck, he couldn't wait anymore. He figured she was still packing and he could offer to help, or just watch her work. Sam knew Andy had not been herself since the op, and truthfully, he was hoping this little trip would help her come to terms with what happened and really move on.

To say it had been a rough month would be an understatement, Sam thought as he guided the truck into a spot. Since they came home he could feel Andy retreating into herself. At the very least, he knew she had not fully dealt with what happened to her- to them during the op. She had done a good job of fooling everyone else, but Sam not only knew Andy better, he also knew how to come back from an undercover do some faking it until making it of his own. It's why he didn't push her over the last few weeks. He knew in time she would deal with what occurred, and he only hoped he was there when it came crashing down around her.

He didn't have to hope for long. As he walked down the hallway towards her door he thought he heard faint sounds of sobbing. Not sure where it was coming from, Sam continued his journey until he came to her door. Thank God he had her spare key, he would thank Nash later for giving it to him, because he wasn't sure if she would even hear him if he knocked. Opening the door as fast as possible, Sam sprinted into the condo. The living room and kitchen were empty, sobs shattering the silence. Sam quickly made his way to her bedroom, calling for her as he went. She didn't answer.

He finally found her, curled into a ball in the corner of her bathroom, rocking herself back and forth and sobbing so uncontrollably, he wasn't sure she even knew he was there. In that moment, Sam's heart broke for the woman he was in love with. Andy McNally was one of the bravest, toughest, strongest women Sam had ever known. He had only really seen her cry a handful of times, and never like this. He knew from the faraway look on her face that the moment he had been awaiting had finally arrived. Andy's mind was finally letting go of the shackles placed upon it and Andy was coming face to face with the Brennan op. Ever so slowly and gently, Sam leaned down and put an arm around Andy's back while the other hooked under her bent legs. Sam lifted her so gently, Andy barely registered that she was being moved. He carried her to the bed, sat down and pulled her into his lap. Stroking her hair, he arms tightened around her as he whispered in her ear.

"Shhhh sweetheart, it's okay. Get it out. You're here and you're safe, but you need to get it out. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. I love you. You are okay. I am okay. I'm here."

Sam repeated those words over and over as he continued to hold and gently rock Andy. He knew enough not to try to stop what was happening, but was just grateful he had decided to show up early.

The second Andy's mind had decided it was time for her to deal with what happened, she couldn't stop it. At some point something in her told her she was no longer alone, and that same small part of her brain registered familiar hands and a voice very close to her, but none of it made the memories stop.

 _Andy woke up a few hours later to the sound of her phone buzzing. She had multiple missed calls from Jerry, Oliver, and Traci and even a missed one from Boyd. She was just wiping the sleep from her eyes when she heard the pounding on her door. Confused, she got up and made her way through her new condo. Jerry and Traci were on the other side._

 _"Hey?" Andy asked, still half asleep._

 _"Andy, I need you to get dressed, or get shoes on and come down to the station, please. NOW." Jerry told her. Andy could sense the underlying tension and a hint of fear in his words and knew something was wrong._

 _"Did Boyd call Sam?" She asked tentatively._

 _"He did. Actually, Frank was able to get him to come back to the station and made him do it in front of him. Sammy… um… Sammy didn't answer." Jerry hated this. Sam was his best friend, and he knew he was the best person to tell her, but he hated it anyway._

 _Thankfully, he grabbed Traci on his way over to Andy's after she refused to pick up her phone. He knew Traci could calm Andy down if needed._

 _"Sweetie, Sam's not at the apartment either. He hasn't been seen on camera since early this morning." Traci gently told her friend as she helped Andy into shoes and a hoodie, smirking a little when she noticed the hoodie belonged to Sam._

 _"So… he works for Brennan, right? Maybe he was called into work this morning?" Andy was still a bit confused. As she woke up though, she noticed Jerry was desperately trying not to look at her._

 _"Wait… Jerry, you don't think… ohmygod did I make him? Did we? No, our covers were, when we left I was alone, no one was, he went and turned off the cameras, he would have checked... so careful…." Andy could barely think straight. The idea that Sam was in trouble because she had the brilliant idea to walk back into the Alpine was something she knew she couldn't handle._

 _"We don't know. After what you told us, this is very unlike Sam. There's a good chance he's fine, really, but there is something about this that bothers me and I wanted to come talk to you in person and bring you down to 15. I know you said you and Sam didn't really talk shop, but I know you and you don't miss much. If there is anything you can think of, even something said in passing, we need to know. I know Boyd is trying to cover his ass on something, I just don't know what."_

 _Andy found herself at the station which is when things went downhill. She was going through case files that Jerry managed to get when she noticed the report for the accident that killed Brennan's family was filled with inconsistencies and wasn't even completely finished. She would never get away with what apparently passed over at 27. She was about to find Jerry when something hit her like a ton of bricks. As she and Sam were getting dressed, he mentioned he needed to talk to Brennan about his boat. JD, apparently, had one and was going to offer it up to the boss in case he ever needed it. 'God's Good Grace', Sam had called it. At the time Andy thought it sounded familiar, but later thought it was just the alliteration making her think that._

 _"JERRY! I got it! Andy called, poking her head into Jerry's office. Jerry, Frank, Oliver, Noelle, and Traci were in the room as were a few other shirts._

 _"McNally, what do you have?" Frank asked, already mentally preparing himself for whatever was coming next._

 _"God's Good Grace." Andy told him and Jerry's eyes grew wide. "It's the name of Sam's boat," she continued, "I'll never forget it because my middle name is Grace and when Sam mentioned that it was the boat he was given, he teased me about the name."_

 _"He only said it in passing, I swear he wasn't telling me about the case…" she added when she saw the looks on both Jerry and Frank's faces._

 _"God's Good Grace?" Traci asked, "we heard that somewhere before, right?"_

 _Before Jerry or Frank could respond Andy's eyes grew wide as it finally hit her. She stood up so fast she almost knocked over the desk she was sitting at. "I'm going to KILL BOYD. KILL HIM. WHERE IS HE?" she demanded. Jerry moved to block the door while Oliver and Traci circled Andy, trying to get her to calm down. Noelle gave Frank a confused look._

 _"Yes, that boat is familiar. It was seized in a very high profile police raid a few months ago. Swarek and McNally brought in a few guys from a different location but who were connected to the raid." Frank sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and pulling out his phone. "I need to go make some calls," he added, motioning for Jerry to follow. "McNally, try not to worry, we will get this figured out and find Sam." Frank left the room with Jerry in tow, ear already glued to his own phone, shouting at whomever answered on the other end._

 _Andy felt like her world was crashing down around her. Surely someone like Jamie Brennan would follow the news on that seizure. He absolutely would know about it. Boyd had put a target on Sam's back from the outset. Now she really, really wanted to find and kill him. But first she needed air. Suddenly, the station felt like it was closing in around her._

 _"I'm going to go outside for a sec, I just need some air." Traci and Oliver just looked at her. "Seriously, guys, I need to breathe for a second, get my head on straight. I promise I will be right back." Andy added, looking at them both._

 _They nodded and released their hold on her. Andy sprinted for the exit as fast as she could, not wanting anyone else to stop her. As soon as she got outside, she leaned against the wall and took deep breaths as if she had just finished a long run. She needed Sam to be okay. She needed to find him before he told Brennan about the boat. The question was, how? She didn't have his number. 'Too dangerous', he told her. Without even thinking, Andy glanced around the lot to make sure she was alone and set off in the direction of the nearest bus station. She would go to his apartment and wait. It would be the only way. If he didn't show, she would go to the Alpine Inn tonight. Sam mentioned that Jamie was a regular there, so she hoped it meant that JD was now a regular too. Somehow she would find him._

 _She stepped off the bus on Sam's side of town. Walking a few blocks she just made it to his apartment building when she heard a horn and turned. Jamie Brennan sat in the car that was honking. Andy tried to school her features, hoping she did not look surprised to see him._

 _"Jamie, right? Hey, how are you?" she asked, walking over to the car._

 _"Candace? I'm flattered you remembered."_

 _"You remembered too" Andy tried to sound flattered._

 _"Couldn't forget a pretty face like that," Jamie told her. "Hop in, JD's not home, but I can take you to him."_

 _"Umm, that's okay, I'm guessing he will be soon?" She checked her watch. It was late afternoon, so hopefully he would be getting back from wherever he was. "I wanted to surprise him. I couldn't get on that plane. I tried, but I don't know, suddenly it seemed like maybe there is something more for me here…" she trailed off, hoping he believed her._

 _"When you know you know, I get it." Jamie nodded. "He won't be here for a while. It's supposed to rain any minute, please, why don't you let me take you to him?"_

 _Andy sighed. She realized at that moment that she wouldn't have a choice. She hoped against hope that Jamie wasn't lying and she would be taken to Sam. That maybe he was okay and had broken into whatever side thing Jamie may have going on and was just caught up in that._

 _She got in the passenger side and buckled her belt. They drove in silence for a while. Andy soon realized they were not going in the direction of town._

 _"I thought you were taking me to see JD?" she asked, trying not to sound a bit frightened._

 _"That's the thing, CANDACE, you will see JD, soon. Sooner than later, I think. But first, I need you to do something for me." Jamie looked over at her and in that moment Andy knew he knew the truth. She had been made. "Tell me, how long has JD had God's Good Grace?"_

 _"Oh, uh, I really wouldn't know. He mentioned it when I met him the other night. Thought maybe it was a line to impress me. Didn't realize he actually had a boat… are you taking me to see it? Have you seen it? Is it nice?" Andy desperately hoped she could steer this thing back in the right direction. She at least hoped she could distract him enough to slip her hand into her pocket to dial the station. Hoping they could hear the conversation and find her._

 _"Oh I've seen it. It was all over the news a little while back. Along with Officers Sam Swarek and Andy McNally taking in the men who were hauling in two suspects for crimes connected to the boat." He added._

 _Andy swallowed. Hard. She said nothing. They had been made the whole time._

 _She finally found her voice. "I swear I didn't know I would run into you two at the Alpine Inn…" was all she could think of to say._

 _"So you're not working me with Sam?"_

 _"No. I swear."_

 _There was more silence as he continued to drive out into the country. The sun was setting now, and it had started to rain._

 _"They killed my family."_

 _"Who?"_

 _"Cops. Tried to make it look like an accident. I think they were hoping to bait me. Get me on the hook for my past. Well, it worked. Only, now I'm going to give them something more to get me on. I have nothing left here anyway."_

 _"Jamie, listen, we can fix this. I know you must want revenge for your family. I don't know what happened in that accident, the reports, they are missing information. Honestly, if I had answers I would give them to you. If you can just let me talk to Sam, let us go back home, we can look into it and I swear we will find out the answers you are looking for." Andy pleaded._

 _"Listen, I am sure you are a nice girl. You seem genuine, but you see, I have not always been a nice guy. When I was, I got burned, so now I have to be not so nice. For what it's worth, JD… Sam, he does love you. It's in the way he looks at you. I saw it the minute he laid eyes on you and knew he hadn't just met you. I really don't want to have to do this to you, but you hopefully your friends are smart enough to find you before…" Jamie trailed off as he turned into a driveway of a cabin by a lake._

 _He got out of the car, locking the door as he did. He walked to Andy's side and she could see he had a knife. Crap. As he opened her door and pulled her out, he reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. He turned it off and threw it in the grass. "You won't be needing that." He told her. "Now, don't scream, not that anyone would hear you, but I really hate using duct tape, besides, it won't work anyway…" he led her into the house._

 _Time seemed to blur after that. As Andy's mind refused to let her out of this waking nightmare, the images of the next day flashed before her in rapid succession. She was tied to a chair, the restraints so tight the rope cut into her skin. Brennan interrogated her about his family, the boat, Sam, and Boyd. She had no answers. The more she answered she didn't know, the angrier he got. First he hit her, repeatedly. Then when it seemed her entire body had been bruised, he punched her in the face and head. He kept saying he didn't want to, but she left him no choice. And Sam would be joining soon. Soon enough the blows were enough to knock her unconscious, but he used smelling salts to keep waking her up._

 _Next came the hammer. He dislocated her shoulder. That was all though, he said he didn't want to mar her body too badly. When she felt like she couldn't possibly take more, he came in with a bottle of water. Andy thought for a fleeting moment that maybe he was taking pity on her, that the man he had become when he got married was pushing through the monster he was before he met his wife. She was wrong. The water was for her, but not in the way she hoped. Waterboarding. Andy gulped for air every chance she got. At some point, she started to hope he would just end it all. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on. As she started to cry, tears rolling down her face, Brennan suddenly left the room. She heard a noise and thought maybe they had found her._

 _He entered the room a minute later and he wasn't alone. Sam was being led to the chair that appeared next to her. Before he could even say a word, Brennan had a knife to his throat and ordered him into the chair. Once he had been bound like Andy, Brennan said he would give them a minute and left._

 _"Andy, what? Are you okay? You…" Sam couldn't even form words. His girlfriend looked like she had been through hell. She was soaked, and even in the moonlight he could see bruises forming all over the parts of her body that were visible. She had a fat lip, bloody nose, and her eyes were so swollen he was shocked they were still open. Her shoulder was dangling, like it had been dislocated. Sam knew if he could get out of the restraints he would kill Brennan with his bare hands. That much was certain._

 _"Sam? What happened? Where were you?" Andy asked, using her strength to put words together. "Boyd messed up. God's Good Grace. I came to your apartment, tried to warn…" she trailed off, needing a minute._

 _"McNally, you need to calm down, save your strength. We will get out of here, okay? I was in bed and the doorbell rang. It was really early in the morning and I was confused. Brennan was there. Said he had urgent business and I needed to go. I thought maybe this was the break we were looking for. He followed me upstairs and I went to get dressed. When I came out he said he had my phone and we needed to go. He drove me to a warehouse we usually don't use and that's when I knew I was made. He beat me for a little, then said he needed to go find the other piece to the puzzle. He tied me up and left one of his henchmen to watch me. Guy took a few blows of his own. I passed out for a while. Next thing I know I was in a car and now I'm here. I didn't know you were the other piece of the puzzle. We will get out of here, though. I swear, Andy. I love you. I love you so much and we will get out of here and we will be okay."_

 _Andy nodded. She couldn't speak. The tears and pain and exhaustion were all becoming too much. She tried to focus on nothing but Sam. She knew she was weak and she was afraid if she closed her eyes she wouldn't open them again. She wanted to commit his face to memory. His voice, his smell, everything._

 _Brennan came back in, only this time, he turned his attention to Sam. Andy was forced to watch as he endured the same beating she had, only this time, Brennan used the hammer on Sam's gun hand and kneecap. Then came the waterboarding. Brennan seemed to think Sam knew more than she did. It was awful. Andy just wanted to die. She wanted to hold Sam's hand and just let go. This was worse than being tortured herself._

 _Brennan finally stopped and took out a gun. He paced in front of them. "I'm sorry it had to end this way. You two really do make a good couple. I can see it. If it could be any other way…"_

 _"It can be, Jamie, there's still time. Let us go." Andy pleaded as Sam came to._

 _"You sonofabitch." Sam said to him. "What you're going to shoot us? After all this torture, now you are going to put us out of our misery?"_

 _The three of them were so caught up in what was going on, none of them heard the cars pull up outside. Nor did they hear Oliver leading the team through the house. It wasn't until they heard his voice yell, "FREEZE. DROP THE GUN AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR" that they realized their friends had found them._

Sam could feel Andy's heartbeat start to slow ever so slightly. He wondered if she had reached the end of their nightmare replaying in her mind. Deciding to take a chance, he started to shake her shoulders ever so gently. Caressing her hair and her back he whispered, "McNally, Andy. Come on, it's over. It's all over. We're in your bathroom. You're with me. You're safe. I'm okay. You're okay. We're both safe."

Andy felt Sam's breath tickle her neck and found her way out of the nightmare the daydream had been and back to his voice. Seeing clearly for the first time, her eyes finally found his.

"Sam?" she said, her sobs beginning to subside. She clung to him like he was a life preserver.

"Shhh, sweetheart. I'm here. It's okay. It's all going to be okay." He told her, rubbing circles on her back.

They sat like that for a few more minutes, Andy's cries subsiding as her breathing and heartrate returned to normal. When she finally felt like she could speak, she pulled back slightly, still keeping her arms firmly locked around Sam's neck, as if letting go would mean he wasn't really there.

"I don't know what happened. One minute I was trying to decide what to bring to Niagara and watching the forecast and the next…" she trailed off, looking down helplessly.

"It's okay. I was wondering when this would happen, actually." Sam told her. He gently reached up, unlocking her arms from his neck. He stood up and pulled her along with him. She went to her sink and splashed cool water on her face. Sam led her back into the bedroom and sat with her on the bed. He put his arm around her and she leaned into his side, her head resting against his shoulder.

"I know you have been burying this for a while. I also knew it would come out eventually. I wondered if it would happen in Niagara, when you had a chance to get away from everything and everyone and relax. Truthfully, I'm kind of glad it happened now. You needed that, Andy. Now you can start to move past this." Sam told her.

Andy nodded. "I know. I know deep down that this needed to happen. I was scared. I didn't want to have to relive what we went through, I just hoped that as we both healed physically it would take away… everything else."

"The mind doesn't work that way, McNally. That's why we have mandatory meetings with the shrink. I knew there was no way you were forthcoming with her. This is the first time anything like this has happened to you other than when Nixon had you in the storage locker. That was bad, but this? These things stay with you if you let them." He told her.

"How did you deal with it? We've spent almost every night together since and you seem much better than I am." Andy asked.

"I learned after my last op that it's best not to fight the shrink. I went to a few extra sessions. I don't like to talk much, especially about this stuff, but I also knew you were not in a good place and I knew I needed to be in order to help you. Also, remember before you were cleared you spent that full day with your dad?" she nodded.

"I went to St. Catherine's for the day to see Sarah. I was just cleared to drive again and I knew you would be with your dad so I took off. I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to worry, or be angry. Going there allows me to clear my head, to deal with this stuff. I've had a few nightmares, but nothing compared to the ones I know you've been having." He told her.

Andy nodded. "I get it Sam. I would have been worried about you driving that way by yourself after just being cleared. I knew you were having some nightmares, but I didn't realize how bad mine were, I guess." She looked down at her hands.

"Hey," he said, lifting her chin so he could look into those gorgeous brown eyes, "it's okay. That's why I'm here. Why we are here. For each other. Now, do you want to keep packing? Do you want to just cancel and stay here? Do you want to talk to someone…" he trailed off. He would do whatever she wanted, really. He didn't care, as long as she was better.

"No, I want to finish packing. I have been looking forward to this trip and we are going. I'm actually glad this happened now. I think I will be able to really relax instead of being haunted by all of this. And…" Andy continued, "when we get back I will call and schedule an appointment with the shrink. I don't want to, but if you went to more sessions, than clearly it's something that is important. These last few weeks back have been difficult. I've been trying to hold it together, to make it look like everything is okay, but it's been an act. I didn't want to have to relive what happened, you know? In therapy, I just said what I knew would get me back on patrol. I guess my mind had different ideas." She laughed.

"The hardest part of our job is having to process when this stuff happens." Sam told her. "I think we are better at it when it happens to victims or others, but when it's us? It's really hard. Sarah went years without processing what happened to her and for a long time she was a shell of a person. I didn't want to be that guy, not for you. You don't deserve that." Sam shrugged. His sister had been really, really messed up for a long time after her attack. Sam did not want to become that in front of Andy.

"Seeing him torture you was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through," Andy whispered.

"Seeing what he did to you before I got there, then receiving it and knowing what it felt like for you was the hardest thing I've had to go through. I think my heart stopped for a moment when I was brought in and saw you in the chair like that. Worst moment of my life." Sam told her, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"I know we can't help what happens to us sometimes, but I don't ever want to see anything like that again." Andy told him.

"Right back at you, McNally."

They sat holding each other a little while more, until finally Andy pulled away and stood.

"Okay, I really need to get back to packing. I do feel better than I did, lighter. That was not pleasant, but I know I needed it. I'm glad you came over."

"Me too. I'm even happier I decided to get here early." He told her. Noticing the time, she looked at him, a question forming on her face.

"How did you get everything done so early?" she wondered.

"Well, unlike you, I have no problems getting out of bed early," he teased. "Haha, Sam. Very funny."

"No, really. I got up early, cleaned my place, took out the trash and packed. Unlike you, I am not as indecisive about my wardrobe."

"How can you be? You own nothing but jeans and black t-shirts. Makes it easy."

"Funny, McNally, real funny. Anyway, afterwards I stopped at the station and then came here…"

Andy thought for a moment. "What did Frank say?"

"No, Andy. You've already had a rough time, we can talk about it after we come back."

"No, Sam. I want to know how things are going. I NEED to know. I get why you didn't want to tell me before, and I know I'm not 100% yet, but really, that breakdown did wonders already. What is happening with the case?"

After Sam and Andy had been found and taken to the hospital, where they were able to give their statements after being treated, they were both forced to stay the night for observation. After what Oliver described as a very amusing argument with the hospital staff, Andy and Sam had been moved to a room together. Apparently, both refused to stay if they could not stay together, even going so far as to demand the paperwork to sign out against medical advice. It wasn't until they were released the following day and went to the station two days later to sign their statements that they found out the details of what took place.

Dov, as it turns out was able to find information on Brennan's deceased wife and learned her family had left her a cabin in the woods. After discovering Andy was missing as well, they took off for the cabin. Oliver had been terrified as he learned just what sort of man Jamie Brennan was and was relieved when he found both his friends alive. Brennan had given a full confession, asked to forgo a trial, and was already transferred to prison. Jerry had led the interview and eventually promised to seek justice for Brennan's family. While the rest of the team was making their way to the cabin, Jerry had been pouring over the accident files Andy discovered. He sent his suspicions to Frank, who called Elaine Peck. Boyd had been suspended, pending a full investigation and other members of 27 division were being investigated as well as a few of Boyd's informants.

Sam sighed. "Frank thinks they have enough to pin this on Boyd. Seems he has been having a tough go since the Hill op. He's been trying to get another high profile case for some time. He knew Brennan was out of the game and I think Brennan has been something of Boyd's white whale. They are still looking into the details of the accident, but Brennan was right. It was not an accident. Frank doesn't really know who is all involved yet, or how, but it's not looking good. Boyd has brought down a lot of people, but his work isn't the same as Callaghan's. His ops are always terribly run and things tend to go wrong that Peck does not like. Depending on how big his role is, he may lose his badge, or at the very least be demoted. It's hard to say." Taking another deep breath, Sam added. "Frank gave me something. Brennan wrote us a letter."

Andy's eyes grew wide. "Do you have it?" she asked.

"I do. I wasn't sure if and when I would tell you or give it to you, but considering what happened today, I think maybe it is a good idea that we read it. Now."

"We? You didn't…"

"Nope. I wanted to see what you wanted to do, first. We are in this together, Andy. We go through this together."

Andy nodded. "Let's see it."

Sam took the letter out of his pocket and unfolded it. They sat together on her bed, with slightly shaking hands, Andy took the letter from Sam and began to read.

 _Officers Swarek and McNally,_

 _By now you know that I am in jail, where I do belong I suppose. Not just for what_

 _happened at the cabin, but for my past as well. I won't fight the charges. I know what I did and I_

 _deserve to pay for that. Like I said in the cabin, it's not like I have anything to live for anyway. Sam, I have to say had your cover not been blown from the beginning you would have had me convinced. You played your part well. Don't blame yourself for the boat. Andy, same to you. I wasn't lying though when I said I could see a connection between you two that night at the Alpine. I once had that with my Maggie._ _It's not something everyone gets, so don't let go._

 _Jamie_

Andy let out a breath she didn't know she had even been holding. "That was…"

"interesting," Sam finished.

"Yeah, relationship advice from someone who tortured us both. You don't get that every day." Andy retorted.

"I think that somewhere in there, Jamie Brennan has an odd set of morals. I think in this instance his past and his present collided and the end result was what happened. I had the idea when I was working him that other than his affinity for torturing people and drug running, he was kind of a good guy. It's odd. Sometimes these cases, these marks, they're… odd." Sam finished, shrugging.

"Yeah, I had the sense when he first brought me to the cabin that maybe he didn't really want to be doing it, but felt like he had to? Like there were two different Jamie Brennan's, both fighting for control." Andy told him.

"He definitely wouldn't be the first criminal we've ever put away to have a bit of dueling personalities. I'm not going to lie, I do feel bad for the guy. When this is all figured out and we know the details it will put things into better perspective, I think, but at the end of the day a woman and child are no longer here through no fault of their own and that is sad. I can tell his heartbreak for that is real. Like I said, it's an odd one." Sam finished, looking at Andy who nodded.

"So McNally," Sam shifted the conversation, grabbing the letter as he stood up. "Have you decided what you are going to bring or are you just going to bring one of everything?"

Andy laughed and swatted him with a pillow. "I think I have it figured out, Sam, but your concern is touching."

Before Sam went to leave the room and let her to her packing, he took a step closer, rubbing his hands along her forearms. He bent slightly, catching her gaze with his own. "Hey, you sure you're going to be okay? Tonight was a lot. And intense. If you want to make a call…" he searched those brown eyes he fell in love with the first time he saw them, not that he would admit it, of course. He needed her to be okay.

"I'm really feeling okay, Sam. I don't want to stay and see the shrink, but I will call in the morning and make an appointment for when we get back, okay? Like I said, I feel a lot lighter. Besides, you're here."

Sam's smile made her weak in the knees.

"I'll always be here," he told her as his hands snaked up her arms and cupped her face, pulling her to him in a sweet, gentle kiss that was meant to show her everything his lips couldn't say in that moment.

"I know," she whispered and they stood like that a few more moments, until Sam went to make himself comfortable and Andy finally finished packing.


	5. Chapter 5 Class Dismissed

**A/N:** Hello! I know it's been awhile (about a year, but who's counting really). First, I cannot say how enough how humbled I am by the continued response to this story and its' prequel. I just received an alert last week that both stories were favorited. I like to think us #TeamAndyonSam diehards and #RookieBlueForever fans get a bit nostalgic in the summer when our favorite show is no longer around and we end up going back to the familiar. I jumped down the rabbit hole myself just last week.

I do apologize for how long this has taken. After the birth of my son… SAM… I had a bit of postpartum. Ladies, I cannot tell you enough how important early intervention is. It took a bit, but I am back to my old self. So much so that on top of the hubby, two young ones, the dog, the house, and the job, I started TWO graduate programs. Clearly the pills don't work on everything! My plate is beyond full and I am currently in a summer course and teaching summer school but felt drawn to write again. Perhaps my muse has decided to return! IDK where that bitch went, but she took her good old time coming back!

Anyway, I plan on picking up where I left off with this story. I cannot promise you I will be writing and posting frequently, and for that I am sorry, but I hope that you like what I have. I am trying to infuse some of what was done on the show with my take on how things could have gone down. Some of these earlier season 3 episodes were my favorites of the show because not only did we get some McSwarek goodness, but there were some fantastic one-liners. I tried to incorporate those into this writing.

Also, I don't know if the rude guest is still lurking, but any nasty comments will be deleted. I learned from reading other fics that the person seemed to be making rounds in the fanfic world and there comes a point where the comments were not constructive. Think what you want about the characters, throw me some advice about my writing, but my perception is my own and if you don't like it, either take a shot at writing or read something else. Disrespect will not be tolerated.

 **Disclaimer:** Rookie Blue and Friends do not belong to me. If they did we would have at least had a proper reunion and maybe a two hour movie?

 **Chapter 3 – "The One Where We Re-do Class Dismissed"**

It was early, Andy knew that much when she woke up and automatically reached for Sam, only to find a pillow and warm sheets where his body should be. Just as she was sitting up and trying to adjust to the sunlight streaming through her bedroom windows, (she **REALLY** needs to invest in the blackout shades Sam has at his place, she decides,) Sam comes back into the room, shirt in hand.

"Hey, what time is it?" she asks, not too subtly taking in Sam's shirtless figure. She wasn't sure if she would ever grow tired of admiring his body. She didn't really want to is the thing. The thought made her form a small smile as she realized Sam was responding.

"I don't know, you threw my watch somewhere." Sam smirked. After spending their day off helping Traci and Jerry rearrange some furniture (okay, playing referee as the newlyweds attempted to combine households is more like it), and start planning their wedding, the gang had migrated to the Penny for dinner and drinks. What was supposed to be an early night since they were all transitioning back to day shift, ended with a few shots of tequila to properly celebrate Sam and Andy's return from suspension, Luke's departure, and a little news from Frank and Noelle. Andy smiled more as she rubbed her head, pointing to the corner of the room where her chaise sat.

 _Their food and another round had just arrived when Frank and Noelle entered the Penny. Sam gestured for the couple to pull up a few chairs and join he, Andy, Traci, and Jerry. Oliver and Zoe walked in right behind Frank and Noelle, so after the table adjusted to accommodate everyone and the new arrivals placed their orders, Frank cleared his throat. "So, I had a meeting at HQ today," he said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. He knew that while Andy and Sam came back to work as professional as two people could possibly be, they were both anxious to learn the fate of the blond detective._

" _And…." Sam was the first to break. He had done some thinking during his suspension and knew deep down they would never truly be rid of Luke. Andy wasn't wrong when she pointed out how many bad guys Luke had helped capture, and Sam knew Peck well enough to know she would not forget that when it came time to dole out a punishment. Detectives normally burned out faster than beat cops, but Luke seemed to have no problems putting in the extra work and overtime. He knew that would go a long way downtown. He wasn't wrong._

" _And, both Callaghan and Rosati have been suspended for three months, they were also ordered to repay the department for their little, uh, rendezvous, at the hotel. Luke has also been transferred to 27 division." Frank finished._

" _Bunch of cheating bitches at 27…" Oliver started, before realizing what Frank did not say. "Wait, is Jo being transferred out of there?" he wondered._

" _Nope." Frank replied, shaking his head, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "HQ decided that since they obviously couldn't be without each other when they were supposed to be doing their jobs, they should probably not be without each other when they are back on the job. Permanent partners. Luke may still be loaned out to us as needed from time to time, but regardless of what he and Jo decide to do with their personal lives, they are stuck together professionally."_

 _Andy couldn't help but laugh at that. She knew that Luke was a workaholic and would never change. She also knew that while he generally got along with the other detectives, he preferred to work cases on his own, and he liked the space to do so. She also guessed that his inability to keep work at work had been what led to Jo leaving in the first place. "So now his partner IS his partner, whether he likes it or not. Honestly, it's probably for the best. Either they will figure out that there are still feelings there, and I think there are. I mean who keeps an engagement ring when she says no? Anyway, or they will need to figure out how to be professionals together. I think it actually sounds better than it will be for them." She shrugged, taking a sip of her beer._

 _Sam smiled. "My partner IS my partner, McNally, and that doesn't seem to be too much of an issue." "Yes, but WE have figured things out." She started to say but was interrupted by a "finally" from Oliver and a chuckle from Jerry. Choosing to ignore both, she continued, "WE know where we stand with each other, and as far as I know you are not harboring unwanted jewelry in a lockbox." "Definitely not," Sam assured her._

 _The group relaxed as everyone else's food arrived and they settled in to eating and discussing the rest of the events of their days. Traci and Andy filled Noelle and Zoe in on wedding plans and ideas while the guys discussed plans to remodel the second floor of Jerry and Traci's home. Jerry wanted a bigger closet and en suite and wanted to redo Leo's room and add a spot for a laundry room on the second floor similar to what Sam had done. "What about adding a space for a nursery, brother?" Oliver couldn't help but ask. "First comes the wedding, then usually the house and baby follow. I know you two do things a bit backwards, but you have two out of three now. Might want to leave space in that house for some… expansion." He advised, wiggling his eyebrows at the flustered couple._

 _At the mention of a nursery, Frank choked slightly on his beer and it was at that moment that Traci realized Noelle had a beer in front of her, but had only been drinking water since they arrived. "Okay there Frank? And Noelle, what's wrong with your beer?" she asked, a smile tempting to play on her lips. The table was silent as all eyes turned to the boss and his girlfriend, both of whom became very quiet._

" _Yeah, Noelle, it's not every day that I buy a round," Oliver joked. In reality, he paid for many of Noelle's drinks over the years. "You can drink one and drive you know, I promise none of us will arrest you…" his voice trailed off as the gears in his brain caught up with his mouth. His eyes grew as he darted between looking at Frank and Noelle. Before he could say another word, Noelle finally gained her voice._

" _As much as I appreciate the gesture, pal, I will be sticking with water for the next nine months or so…" she glanced at Frank. Last weekend she realized she was late. She had made it no secret when she and Frank grew closer that she wanted a baby, and was even starting the process of having one on her own. Frank had shocked her when he told her that she did not need to do any of it on her own and he wasn't lying. Apparently, vacation had been very, very good to them._

 _It took a second for her words to really sink in around the table, which suddenly exploded in noise. Andy, Traci, and Zoe all jumped up and ran to hug Noelle, while the guys shook hands and man hugged Frank. When everyone calmed down and got back to their seats, Oliver shook his head._

" _So this is why you were so moody during that photo shoot with Diaz!" he exclaimed. Noelle had not been happy that day, he heard her threaten to shoot the photographer when she had to change into a bigger shirt. Now it all made sense. She had also been riding the desk lately, and Oliver was beginning to wonder if she had lost some bet to Frank._

" _We were going to wait to tell everyone until I was further along, but since you are all clearly very good at observing," Noelle started, until she was cut off by Sam, "yeah, except for Barber here. Some detective you are, brother. Sitting right next to her and you didn't notice she was drinking water?!" everyone laughed as Jerry pretended to be hurt._

" _I found out about a week after we came home. Punta Cana really agreed with all of us!" Noelle and Frank beamed at each other. Their friends could tell that they were happy, and excited. The rest of the evening was spent talking about babies and houses and then someone decided to do a few tequila shots to really celebrate. Thus, why Andy and Sam stumbled into Andy's condo, throwing clothes across the place as they tried to shed them as quickly as possible on their way to the bedroom. Apparently, Sam's watch had somehow been in their way and thrown as well, though at the time neither really noticed._

"Yep. It's behind the chaise." She smiled.

Sam looked at her, confused, as his eyes searched the room for what she was referring to.

"The chaise, the chair thing."

"Ohhh, the chAYZe". Andy just shook her head, reaching for Sam as he pulled his shirt over his head and found his watch.

"You wanna grab the newspaper and I'll make some coffee," she started, preparing to get out of bed. They had established somewhat of a routine on days where they did not have to be at work or they were not on the early shift. One would get the paper while the other made coffee and they would lounge in bed, swapping sections and drinking contentedly. Sometimes, they would even attempt the crossword together, although that usually ended up in bickering over the answers.

"I can't, I gotta go," Sam told her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What?" Andy searched her foggy memory trying to remember if Sam had switched shifts or mentioned having to be somewhere early in the morning. Not that it was a big deal, but they had gotten into the habit of letting each other know when their schedules changed. Truthfully, both of them had been settling into domesticity better than they imagined, and the mornings spent apart, while not a bad thing, made them both wish they had planned better. Even after dating only a few weeks, it was something Andy had grown very comfortable with, much to her surprise.

"I told Jerry I'd meet him for some one-on-one. I'm already late." Sam told her, leaning down to kiss her.

"One-on-one, huh? Traci know about this. Should we be concerned?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows. Sam laughed into her mouth, shaking his head. "Just with how out of shape Barber is, and how tired he will be when we get to work, although that is more Traci's concern than yours," he pointed out, sitting at the edge of the bed to put on his sneakers.

"I'll miss you," Andy told him, leaning in to kiss his cheek. She wasn't upset, but part of her was hoping they could get in a little one-on-one time of their own, preferably in her bed, before they had to report for shift.

"McNally, we have all day together. At work." Sam reminded her, getting up to leave. "I know," she replied, letting the last word linger in the air. Sam chuckled. "Just can't get enough, can you, McNally? You have to share, you know. Don't worry, I will see if I can get us an interview room later." He winked, and after grabbing her chin and pulling her in for a final kiss he strolled out of the room.

Andy huffed, plopped back down on her pillow before throwing off the covers. She supposed she may as well get herself some breakfast and go for a run before it became too warm. A run was definitely not on her list of things to do this morning, but it would have to do. Besides, maybe she could convince Sam to shoot hoops with her later. She was much better at the sport than both he and Jerry and Sam rarely wanted to go against her. Hopefully, he would school Jerry and it would bolster some confidence to take on Andy. She smiled at the thought as she went to get dressed.

Later at the station, Andy and Sam were making eyes at each other waiting for parade to begin when Frank walked in looking annoyed. He announced that it was the annual Scavenger Hunt to celebrate the last day of school for summer vacation. He then revealed the reason for his annoyance. After dinner the night before, Oliver's phone rang. It was another officer looking for a last minute cover due to an emergency. Oliver only had one beer and a few hours before the overnight started so he decided to put in some overtime and work the double. Apparently, he was partnered with Dov, who left their keys in the squad when they responded to a disturbance at the high school gym. The disturbance was a rouse, though, and they walked back out to find the squad gone.

Andy and Sam were both trying desperately to suppress a laugh for the sake of their friends when Frank reminded them with a glare that this was serious. "They also got away with our expensive computer equipment and a loaded shot gun," his last word ringing in everyone's ears as they realized how serious this could become. As Noelle took over for the clearly heated Seargant, going over a list of items taken during previous hunts, Andy shot a glance at her boyfriend. He just shook his head, patting Oliver on the back and running his hands through his hair, it was going to be a long day. Assignments were posted and officers filed out of parade, heading to the bay to pick up their squads. Andy told Sam she wanted to run to her locker for an extra hair tie and he agreed to meet her at 1505 in five.

As Andy was just about to leave the locker room, she literally ran into a very distracted and frazzled looking Gail. Andy immediately felt a bit guilty. Since they had been back and everything went down with Luke, she had not seen much of her friends outside of work, save for the time she spent with Traci and Jerry. She and Sam had become wrapped up in each other, and she realized in that moment that him leaving to see Jerry this morning was really a good thing and something they needed to do on a more regular basis. She also realized she probably sounded a bit clingy, and made a mental note to mention it to Sam later. She missed her friends and she was sure Sam did as well.

"Hey Gail, you okay?" Andy asked. She knew Sam hated the annual Scavenger Hunt, and would not be in any hurry to get on the road, so she wasn't worried about him coming to look for her, or getting annoyed at her being late.

"What?" Gail snapped out of it, just realizing Andy was even there. "Oh, yes, hey McNally. I'm awesome, how are you?" She asked as she opened her locker and used her mirror to fix her hair.

"Doing great," Andy told her. "You sure you look okay, you seem a bit dazed," she tried to laugh it off. Gail was a lot of things at work, but never dazed.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine, just... things... have been a little much lately." She shrugged, finishing her hair, and apparently finding her ice queen demeanor in the depths of her locker because when she closed it and turned, the Gail Peck everyone knew at the station was staring at Andy.

"Seriously, McNally, I'm good. Gotta run." She said, marching past Andy, the bitchy demeanor firmly in place. Andy shook her head, made a mental note to text Traci if they had some downtime later, and made her way to the bay.

"'Bout time, McNally, I was starting to think you got lost in there," Sam smirked as he stood up from his perch leaning against the squad. Truthfully, he was in no hurry, but anytime she told him she would only be a few minutes and ended up taking much longer, he used as an excuse to joke about her perpetual tardiness.

Andy rolled her eyes. They had done this song and dance before; she knew she was being baited. "What's the matter, Swarek, miss me? Worried I might be asking Jerry how your one-on-one session went? You know he will tell me how out of shape you really are..." She trailed off, knowing that if things had not gone in Sam's favor he would never actually tell her.

Sam laughed as they buckled in and he began making his way onto the streets of Toronto. "Schooled Barber like the awesome guy I am, McNally. He's the one who needs the gym, not me. But, I'm pretty sure you already knew that" He winked.

"So does that mean you are ready for some one-on-one with me?"

The dimples made an appearance, "I'm always ready for some one-on-one with you," Sam smirked.

"Slow down, Romeo, I meant on the court." Andy clarified, rolling her eyes for good measure.

"Oh we can go a round on the court, but I thought you weren't the biggest fan of doing it in public places. Remember the patio?" Sam couldn't help it. Banter between him and Andy always came freely. It just flowed. Plus, he knew bringing up their sessions on the patio would cause her to blush, and he really liked making her blush.

He was not disappointed. As the redness crept across Andy's face, and she fought to keep control of herself, she shook her head, "I'm talking about the ball game, Swarek." As the words left her mouth, she knew they were not the ones she should have used.

"Oh, believe me, I'm talking about the BALL game too." He shot her a wink, which earned him a tongue and a scowl.

"Funny. Seriously though, you never play basketball with me," she whined.

"What can I say, McNally, as much as I like gripping you up, and believe me, I REALLY enjoy that, I prefer it when we are naked than when we are in workout clothes."

"So it has nothing to do with the fact that I've beaten you more than once on the court?" She asked, batting her eyelashes.

"Are you sure it was more than once,?" Sam asked, pretending he didn't know it was definitely more than once. "Definitely. It was three times. Three." Andy held up three fingers for good measure. Sam shook his head and was just about to respond when a call came over the intercom, but was quickly rescinded as a closer unit responded. Andy realized the unfamiliar voice must be Nick Collins because just before the click of the talkie shutting off, she head Gail audibly sigh.

"Was that the new guy?" She asked, wondering if Sam knew anything about him. She long since knew Sam wasn't a gossip, but Punta Cana taught her that he really did pay attention. Maybe he knew something she didn't.

"Yep. G.I. Joe decided to put his Army skills to use by joining us here at the 15. Frank thinks it's great." Sam told her, turning towards the areas known to be on previous scavenger lists. "The day of your Tribunal I worked with him briefly when we drove to the marina to pick up Grey as he was trying to leave Toronto with Alice. He's the one who ended up jumping in the water to get our guy. Oliver claims responsibility though, says he didn't get to finish giving him the rookie speech."

Andy just laughed and shook her head, remembering her first day when Oliver gave her the rookie talk. It seemed like a lifetime ago. "I ran into Gail this morning in the locker room, she was definitely pre-occupied. I thought I heard Dov say that she knows him. I wonder if that's it." Andy told him.

Sam shrugged. He had overheard Dov and Chris discussing Collins in the locker room. Apparently, things between Diaz and the Ice Queen had not been well since Gail told her parents about her marriage and subsequent annulment to Dov. He overheard the two friends discussing just how well Gail knew Nick, since apparently Chris has learned Nick and Gail went way back, though she seemed to not elaborate more on the subject. That's all Sam knew. He tried to tune out the rookies, not really wanting to know too much about their business. If it didn't involve Andy he didn't really care. He had learned more about her friends, and even liked them, but he already had his own group of friends and Dov especially could be a lot to take. Plus, he and Andy had a date that night so Sam had other thoughts on his mind.

"Maybe, but it's Gail so you really never can tell." Sam shrugged again, his eyes continuing to watch the road while darting to take in his surroundings. He and Andy settled into comfortable silence, until he noticed her face. She seemed to be waging an internal war in that pretty head of hers. Sam knew her well enough to know something had been bothering her since he left earlier that morning. While they had been good at keeping the more serious side of their relationship out of work, he knew he would be fighting against her internal dialogue all day if he didn't say something.

"Penny for your thoughts, McNally?" He tried to keep it casual. As far as he and Andy had come in their relationship, he knew if he pushed too hard too fast, it would spook her. Especially when it came to him, them. She seemed to still walk on eggshells sometimes, and Sam wondered more than once if that was how her entire relationship had been when she was with Luke. It put a lot of things in perspective.

Andy sighed. She should have known he would know something was up. She had gotten a lot better at not wearing her feelings on her sleeve, but she knew Sam could read her face, and when it came to him, her poker face almost always faltered.

"Did I spook you this morning? When I asked why you were leaving?"

"You did not." He assured her. Truthfully, he forgot all about the plans he made with Jerry until he woke up needing to use the bathroom. On his way back to bed, where he planned on staying until they needed to be up for shift, he noticed the message light on his phone was blinking. He checked and saw the text from Jerry reminding him of their plans. He debated texting him back and cancelling, but ultimately decided that he needed the exercise and one morning away from his girlfriend wouldn't hurt.

"You sure? You left pretty fast." Andy chewed her bottom lip. She really, really did not want to be clingy, but there were things about their relationship that still made her nervous. She supposed it was all part of being in love, but it didn't make her feel better.

"Yes. I was trying to avoid the inevitable..." Sam trailed off glancing at her. What he really wanted to do was pull over on some secluded street, pull Andy into his arms and show her exactly what he wanted to do that morning. He knew he couldn't though, because well, boundaries. Besides, today was not the day to get on Frank's bad side.

"And the answer is no..." He continued, noticing her eyes grow wide. "No, I will not go to a yoga class with you."

Whatever Andy expected, that was not it. Unable to control the burst of laughter that erupted from her chest, she fought to gain control of herself as she responded. "I asked you once." Sam's eyed darted to hers, giving her a pointed look. "Okay, twice. Twice. But I still stand by it, I think you would like it. It's good for stress."

Sam was about to tell her what else was good for stress when a minivan came darting out from a side street, almost clipping them. When Sam righted the squad and glanced to make sure Andy was okay, he took off after the speeding vehicle as Andy called it in. They chased the van for a few minutes until the driver turned down an alley that led to a dead end.

"That's right buddy, nowhere to go. It's over." Sam muttered, as both vehicles came to a stop and he and Andy started preparing to get out of the car. Just as he was unbuckling, the driver darted out of the van and scaled the fence.

"Guess he didn't hear you," Andy chuckled as she and Sam took off after the suspect. The next few moments went by in a flash as Sam helped Andy up to scale the fence and she confronted the suspect, who was suffering from a pretty severe head wound and clutching a bag.

"Hey, don't move," she started as she heard Sam calling for her while trying to bust open the fence.

"I'm fine," Andy yelled back, her focus still on the driver. "Just hold on a second." As Sam continued to yell at her and try to get to her, Andy tried to confront the suspect, she thought she might have made leeway when she reached for the bag and a scuffle ensued. Andy found herself on the ground, with the bag and subsequent money scattered about. Sam had just broken in the fence when Andy got up, trying to chase the suspect who had too much of a start on her. Angry, she turned back towards Sam, brushing off her uniform and reaching for the bag.

""Whooo" she said, when she saw how much money was in the bag the suspect left behind.

"Yeah, don't think that's part of the scavenger hunt," Sam quipped, reaching for his phone.

Later, after Jerry arrived on scene and they located the owner, annoyed at the revelation that they were dealing with some rich kids, Andy and Sam headed to the very prestigious, and expensive, West Gate Collegiate. After locating and talking with the owner of the van, they learned an interesting piece of information.

"Your father is Bobby Alvarez." Sam said to Stella, not really asking a question.

"Yeah, you know him?" The young girl asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Oh, we've met." He told her, before allowing her to go and take her final.

After informing Andy on just who Bobby was, Sam drove over to his auto body shop. One small confrontation with Bobby's right hand mad, JT, and Sam and Andy were inside the shop trying to get into Bobby's office. As Sam and JT kicked in the door, Andy thought back to the conversation outside. Sam seemed to know JT on a more personal level. Andy stored that for later, realizing that as much as she knew about her boyfriend, there were still many things about his past he had yet to reveal. Shoving that thought aside, Andy walked into the room behind Sam, pausing when she realized Bobby was on the floor, unconscious from what looked like a very serious head wound.

Once Sam and Andy learned from JT that an employee, Wyatt Crypton, was nowhere to be found, they got an address and were heading to his place when Andy decided to text Traci about Gail.

"Hey Trace, busy?"

"At the station trying to find the parents of a kid we brought in. He had 3 ID cards, and luckily enough, the scavenger hunt list."

"Sweet! I bet Frank is happy."

"Yep, squad car is near the top. Oliver and Dov are on it. Anyway, what's up?"

"Have you talked to Gail lately? I ran into her this morning and she seems... off."

"Yeah... I know you and Swarek have been out of the loop recently, things with Gail and Chris have not been great. He told me today they are taking a break for a while."

"What? I thought vacation helped their relationship? I mean okay, I know the whole marriage thing and her parents reaction was a lot, but I thought they could handle it."

"Well I don't think it is just that. You've met the rookie, Nick Collins, right?"

"In passing. His first day was the day I came back and things have been crazy since."

"Yeah well, it seems as though he and Gail knew each other from awhile back. Like before he left for the Army. I think that is what led to this break."

"Hmmmm you think she dated him?"

"With Gail, it's hard to tell, but that is what Chris and Dov think. Gail refuses to discuss it, but however she knows him, it's on a personal level. Gotta go, just got an ID on the mom and kid."

"Okay, Trace. Tell Chris I said hi and ttyl"

Sam ended a call he was on with Jerry at the same time Andy finished her text. Sam informed her about the information Jerry found on Wyatt. Apparently, the kid was 19, had a bit of a rough life, and had been in foster care. Andy thought out loud about whether or not being in foster care had an effect on Wyatt, it seemed to have some sort of effect on almost every suspect they encountered who had been in the system.

"Lots of kids go into foster care, and come out just fine," Sam informed her as they rolled up on Wyatt's apartment. After sweeping the place and discovering a makeshift dark room with many photos of Stella, Andy and Sam made their way back to the high school.

"Wanna tell me what those texts were about?" Sam couldn't help but ask. He generally didn't pry into what Andy did on her phone, but she was texting so quickly and furiously, he couldn't help but wonder.

"Traci and I were discussing Gail. Apparently she and Collins have a history. Don't know what that history is, but it must have been something because it led to her and Chris taking a break." Andy shrugged. She felt bad for the couple, but truth be told she never really understood their relationship. She knew she and Sam were different, but Chris and Gail were about as opposite as two people could be. It started to make her wonder if being so different would lead to the same fate for her and Sam, but as they rolled up to the school she pushed the thoughts aside for later.

"Wow. Ice Queen and GI Joe, huh? Interesting." Sam commented. Andy was just about to ask Sam about his earlier foster care comment when they arrived at the high school. She abandoned the thought as they raced to find Stella, hoping they were able to get there before Wyatt decided to find her. After learning where her locker was, and getting some information on Stella's whereabouts from one of her peers, Andy and Sam began their descent through the school, peering into classrooms and common areas before coming to the auditorium. Voices echoed from within.

Sam and Andy quietly entered the auditorium, looking up as they realized Stella and Wyatt were up on the second flood mezzanine. "What happened to my father, Wyatt?" They heard Stella's panicked voice ask. "Stella, I love you," they heard Wyatt tell her. "He didn't want us to be together." Andy and Sam decided to break up the party by announcing their arrival. It did not go well. Wyatt was clearly agitated and Andy was just about to find a way up to the mezzanine when Sam's phone vibrated. He looked at the message and quickly put his phone away, drawing his gun.

"McNally, he's armed." He told her, just as Wyatt yelled, then fired a warning shot in the air. He grabbed Stella and Sam could hear them exiting the auditorium. He didn't even wait for Andy, he was off and running. Andy called in for backup and took off after Sam. The duo quickly made their way down a deserted hallway, following the sounds of Stella's panicked cries and Wyatt's agitated voice trying to calm her down.

Andy and Sam realized Wyatt had cornered himself and Stella. They also realized this was becoming dangerously close to going south. As they put themselves in position at the corner of the hallway, guns trained on Wyatt, they tried to talk him down. More shots were fired.

"Wyatt, ETF I on their way. Shots fired in a school? There is no negotiating." Sam tried to reason with the kid. As much as he knew Wyatt was in trouble, he didn't think the kid should be taken down by ETF, who he knew would shoot to kill.

"I don't care about negotiating." Wyatt yelled. Stella couldn't stop crying. Andy was afraid she was going to have a panic attack. He really did not think Wyatt would hurt her, but he'd seen these situations go both ways in the past and hoped they could get her out of there in one piece.

"Wyatt, if you love her, you're going to let her go." Sam told him.

After another minute, Wyatt finally yelled for Stella to go. Sam backed up Andy as she went out, gun drawn, to pull Stella in. Once she was safely behind the two, Andy and Sam turned their attention back on Wyatt, knowing they were losing time.

Suddenly, Andy realized something. "Sam the shot gun is an .850. Double shots auditorium, four shots here."

Sam let her words sink in and nodded. "Cover me." He told her, standing up and putting his gun away and hands in the air, he began walking slowly towards Wyatt, making sure Andy still had a clear shot over his shoulder.

Andy stood her ground behind him, keeping her gun trained on Wyatt. She silently prayed he did not force her to shoot.

"Wyatt, it's empty." Sam said, as he approached the boy and managed to take the shot gun from him. Andy sighed with relief as she leaned against the wall and called off backup. "Subject secure."

Andy sat with Stella while Sam dealt with Wyatt. Stella explained that she met Wyatt through her dad's shop. She had always been a good student, kept her nose clean, and worked hard. Wyatt was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Stella was not naïve to that, nor, Andy surmised, to her father's dealings, but she simply chose to ignore it. When Bobby found out about their relationship, he worried that it would derail Stella from going to Stanford. He forbid the two to see each other and that is what set Wyatt off. Stella truthfully didn't know what would happen to their relationship in the fall, but she knew no matter what she was going to the states for college. She also knew she was in love with Wyatt and part of her had been hoping her dad would just accept it.

After getting her statement and dropping her off at the hospital, Andy headed back to the station to watch Jerry interrogate Wyatt. Sam was already in observation 1 when Andy walked in. Sam continued to watch Jerry, while Andy watched Sam, the wheels beginning to turn once more.

"You think we're too different." Andy couldn't hold her thoughts in. It had been eating at her since Wyatt got the slip on her earlier in the day. "You don't think we're going to last." She added, not sure where that came from, but knowing deep down she still thought it.

Sam took a moment before answering. He knew McNally's mind had been working in overdrive all day. He wasn't prepared for that last statement, and would need to address that. How she thought that he could not wrap his head around. He thought he laid it all on the table in Punta Cana. He should have known that coming back to Toronto would bring out insecurities.

"If we were the same, that kid in there might be dead right now. Yes, Andy, we're different." He looked at her, waiting.

"Is that what you think?" She didn't really know what she thought he would say, but it wasn't that.

Sam sighed. If they were going to go there, they were going all the way. "I think you were ready to marry someone else six months ago," he told her pointedly, turning his attention back to the interview. He couldn't look at her face. He knew he shouldn't have said it, but deep down, it was true.

Andy felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. After everything, Punta Cana, the suspension, she thought he knew. "Sam, you gotta know. You and me. It's not the same."

He turned to face her, dimples on full display, "okay, so what's the rush?" Sam knew that there was a part of Andy that wanted to go forward full throttle into this with Sam, and another part of her, though she was in love with him, still hung back. He knew this morning when he left that it would put her into this state. He reminded himself once again to remember to tell her when he had morning plans. Maybe one of those wall calendars would help, he thought.

They watched at the interview concluded and Jerry led Wyatt to booking for assault, kidnapping, and theft. They decided to drop the terrorism charges that would have been automatic for firing shots in the school. Wyatt, while conflicted, was not a bad kid, he was just in love with the bosses daughter and things went horribly wrong.

After showering and changing, Andy walked out into the parking lot where she found Sam leaning against his truck. Since their suspension ended, they had not spent a night apart. Andy had wondered if they would after the events of the day. She was drained, both emotionally and physically. She would not argue if he wanted the night to himself, but truthfully, she just wanted to be wherever he was.

"Your place or mine?" Sam asked, as they climbed in the truck. Andy smiled. "Mine, it's closer." Sam nodded. After eating a quick dinner, they settled in on Andy's couch, her with her head in his lap. As the TV played sports highlights of the day, Sam aimlessly watched, not really paying attention, as he ran his hands through her hair. Neither said a word for a long time until finally Sam cleared his throat.

"I was in foster care." It came out barely louder than a whisper. Andy didn't move. She didn't know if he would continue or if he was waiting for a response.

"Mom died when we were young and after Sarah... dad went away. Sarah wanted to take care of us on her own, but she wasn't in the right state and couldn't support us. We ended up being cared for by a really nice older couple after being bounced around for a few months. They passed away not long after my first undercover stint. Sarah lives in their house in St. Catherine's." Sam finished, looking down at Andy.

"I'm... I'm sorry for that foster care remark earlier... I didn't know." Was all Andy could think to say, she sat up so she could look at her boyfriend, lacing her hand through his own.

"I know. And I wanted to tell you this stuff before, I just... it's, my past was not easy. I want you to know things Andy, things no one knows. I just, I don't always know how to start."

Andy rubbed his knuckles, nodding. "I get it Sam. I do. I'm not going to push you to talk. I want to know you. I think you know that, but I also know what it's like to not want to let people in. You can though. I'm sorry about earlier at the station. I don't know where those thoughts even came from." She put her head down.

Sam used a finger to lift her chin so he could look her dead in the eyes, those beautiful brown eyes which at the moment were filled with love, and worry. Sam smiled. God he loved her. He wished she truly understood how much. "I'm sorry too. Bringing up your relationship with Luke was pushing it. I know how you feel about me, about us. You caught me off guard. I know you know we are different. It's what makes us who we are. Just, there's something you gotta know, and remember, and it's that while I cannot predict the future, I know there's only one place I wanna be and one person I wanna spend it with, and that's you. I know things are not always going to be easy, but I don't worry about whether or not we are going to last." He told her, searching her face for some sort of reaction. He got it when she erupted into a smile that looked like it would crack her face in two.

"I love you, Sam. Watching Stella and Wyatt today brought back some insecurities I thought I was done with. Ditto learning about Gail and Chris. Like I said, you and I, we're not the same as me and Luke. I am glad for that. I don't need us to rush things and I do know you don't want anyone else, because we already had that talk. I don't want to be anywhere or with anyone else, either. It's always been you, home for me is you." She leaned in to kiss him. It was filled with love and passion and everything she couldn't put into words and he returned the kiss in kind. He knew that things with them would probably continue to hit some roadblocks as they settled more into this life together, but he knew he wouldn't want it with anyone else.

Pulling back, Sam looked at Andy, "We need to get some wall calendars." Andy burst out laughing and put her head back in Sam's lap. Yes, they were different, but different can be good.

Across town, at the beaches, Gail and Nick sat, a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses between them.

"Bam! That's three in a row. Good to see two tours in Afghanistan and I can still drink you under the table," she chided rubbing it in to Nick just a little.

Nick laughed and the two continued to banter for a few more minutes until finally Gail stood up, telling him it was time for her to go. She was just about to walk away when she remembered her bag. Turning, she saw Nick already grabbed it and when she went to take it from his outstretched arms, he pulled her in and kissed her. Neither noticed a squad car parked a little ways down the road. Chris sighed. After taking Troy for pizza and speaking to his mom, he volunteered for a double and was out on patrol, hoping to catch some kids before the hunt officially ended. He was not prepared to catch Gail and Collins. He knew she wasn't being honest about whatever their relationship was. Chris had not missed the expression on her face when Nick rode into the parking lot on his first day, and her demeanor towards Chris had changed almost immediately. In the days and weeks that followed, things only continued to get worse. Gail blamed it on the fallout from her wedding in Punta Cana. To say her parents had not been happy was an understatement. Chris was genuinely afraid for his life and he had not actually done anything wrong. About a week ago, after a night of fighting over nothing, he suggested that maybe they take a break and get some space for a while. She agreed much quicker than he had anticipated, thinking she would argue with him. Shaking his head to relieve his mind of the memory, he turned the car around, deciding a drive was in order. As he did, he missed what he was really there for, the sight of a bunch of teens stealing the umbrellas set up on the promenade.

Okay, so I may have decided to throw some things in there prematurely, like Noelle's pregnancy, and I wanted to add in that bit with Nick, Gail, and Chris so I wouldn't need to spend so much time doing a flashback in the next chapter. I also wanted to include some of the conversations from the episode, but changed them to fit my version of events. Hope you all liked it! Not sure when I will be able to do the next chapter as I need to re-watch the episodes first. Let me know if I should include more of those moments with other characters, or stick to Andy and Sam's POV.


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